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The content and the application of pharmaceutical dosage forms must meet several basic requirements to ensure and maintain efficiency, safety and quality. A large number of active substances have a limited ability to direct administration. Excipients are generally used to overcome the limitation of direct administration of these active substances. However, the function, behavior and composition of the excipients need to be well known in the design, development and production of pharmaceutical dosage forms. In this review, excipients used to assist in any pharmaceutical dosage form production processes of drugs, to preserve, promote or increase stability, bioavailability and patient compliance, to assist in product identification/separation, or to enhance overall safety and effectiveness of the drug delivery system during storage or use are explained. Moreover, the use of these excipients in drug delivery systems is identified. Excipient toxicity, which is an issue discussed in the light of current studies, also discussed in this review.

The capstone project course has been considered as a commanding student-centered learning activity designed to provide an opportunity to an undergraduate student to solve critical real-life problems by applying the technical and soft skills acquired. A major objective of the capstone project is to apply real-life engineering practices to fulfill customer needs. This paper outline the challenges and best practices learned in the development and implementation of the open-ended undergraduate capstone project with the intention to enhance the quality and learning outcomes. In order to enhance the quality of the capstone project, various strategies such as group formation, student evaluation, sourcing student projects, project plan, project space, project funding, and support for patent and paper publications have been discussed also. The capstone project is offered in the fourth year of B. Tech. mechanical engineering program and it consists of two modules; Phase I and Phase II. Around 72 students and 18 supervisors were involved in the activity for the entire academic year. The student learning outcomes were measured using the commercial software and observed that all the learning outcomes have been attained more than 75% and students have developed very good projects in a team by applying technical knowledge and soft skills learned in the program.

Lactating Murrah buffaloes (28) were divided into 4 groups of 7 each to study the effect of supplement molasses based multi-nutrient containing chromium picolinate on milk quality and serum biochemistry. Basal diet comprising wheat straw, maize green and concentrate mixture were fed to all the groups. In addition to basal diet, the animals were fed 250 g molasses based multi-nutrient supplement (MMS-1), 5 mg Cr-picolinate and MMS-2 (MMS + 5 mg Cr picolinate) in groups T2, T3 and T4, respectively. Daily milk yield and monthly milk composition were recorded. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein on days 0, 90 and 180 of experimental feeding for the estimation of serum metabolite profile, concentrations of insulin, non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA), T3, T4, IGF-1, cortisol, estradiol, progesterone and Cr levels. Results have revealed that the serum Cr concentration increased in Cr supplemented groups; however, the milk Cr concentration was comparable among all the groups. Hematological parameters were statistically comparable among 4 groups except that RBC concentration was higher in group T2. Fat corrected milk (FCM), solid corrected milk (SCM), energy corrected milk (ECM) yields and milk energy contents were significantly higher in MMS supplement groups. Supplementation of MMS and Cr-picolinate had no effect on serum estradiol, NEFA, BHBA, T3, T4, cortisol and IGF-1, however, the concentration of progesterone was significantly lower in all supplemented groups. From the results, it may be deduced that the supplementation of Cr has no adverse effect on FCM yield, however, supplementation of MMS improved FCM yield by 28%. No synergistic effect of supplementation of Cr and MMS on milk composition (fat, protein, SNF, TS and lactose) was observed in lactating Murrah buffaloes.

In this study experimental work carried out to study the bending behavior of steel I beam externally attached with polymer sheets reinforced with Glass fiber, Basalt fiber, and Carbon fiber. Simulation software, Ansys is used to analyses the experimental results. Artificial neural network (ANN) is trained by using experimental data. ANN architecture having multilayer, back propagation and feed forward algorithm was used. The outcomes of this exercise shows that artificial neural network can be succefully used to predict the bending behavior of steel I beam externally attached with FRP sheets with reasonable accuracy in order to reduce the experimental work.

In the present article, we report proceedings of our work on synthesis and characterization of Zinc Sulfide (ZnS) quantum dots (QD). The synthesis part comprises employment of simple colloidal method with minimal apparatus and reactants. Lactic acid is being used as capping agent to enable the biocompatibility along with the possibility of conjugation to biomolecules. The obtained colloidal solution is further processed to get nanoparticles, which have a band gap of about 4.0 eV through Tauc plot. Various optical characterization tools reveal the absorption properties and photoluminescence phenomena of this direct bandgap semiconductor nanocrystal. X-Ray diffraction analysis confirms the material and reveal its cubic zinc blende phase. Scanning electron microscope and elementary dispersive spectrum expose the material assembly and composition. The future work aims at making it a fluorescent probe for biological application.

A simple derivatization reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous analysis (separation and quantification) of zineb and hexaconazole has been optimized and validated. The method was carried out on an Agilent Eclipse plus C18 column (150 × 4.6 mm; 5 μm), with a mobile phase comprising acetonitrile + methanol (80 + 20 v/v): water (0.1% v/v trifluoroacetic acid) (60 : 40 v/v) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL minute−1, and the quantification was achieved at 272 nm and 205 nm. The retention times of zineb and hexaconazole were found to be 6.4 min and 7.6 min, respectively. The performance of the method was validated according to the SANCO, CIPAC and ICH guidelines for specificity, selectivity, linearity, precision, accuracy, limit of detection, limit of quantification and robustness. The developed method was successfully applied for the estimation of zineb and hexaconazole in a pesticide dosage form.

Being an autonomous institute, Rajarambapu Institute of technology (RIT), Rajaramnagar decided to start choice based four tracks of projects for final year engineering students from the year 2017-18 to develop them globally competent. As per this system students can opt one choice from industry internship & projects (IIP), undergraduate research experience (URE), Entrepreneurship development (ED) and regular capstone project (CP) by their choice. Present work focuses on choice based four track project system, its impact on student�s career, challenges faced during implementation from student and institute perception and major actions taken to overcome the challenges. To analyse the outcomes of four track project system, survey of students and their evaluators were conducted. It was observed that students who opted IIP track, developed their skills like technical competency and interpersonal skills. Institute succeeded to improve the placement from 89% to 63.05%. From survey and evaluation of URE opted students, it is observed that self-learning ability, self-confidence and critical thinking improved at satisfactory level. This helped the students to build their resume. In last three years 20 URE opted students secured admissions easily at foreign universities after clearing the entrance test. Under ED track, students developed entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial characteristics. 19 students started business and 21 students joined the business of their parents in last three years. Students who opted CP track succeeded to develop skills like team work, innovative thinking, and time management. Overall, it has been observed that admission cut off marks of institute have been increased by 10 to 30 % from the year 2017-18 to 2019-20.

A field experiment was carried out at the Research Farm of Department of Agricultural Entomology, Parbhani during kharif 2018 on brinjal. The results revealed that the peak incidence of aphids, jassids and whitefly was in the 34th, 35th and 36th standard meterological week (SMW), respectively. The first peak incidence of brinjal shoot and fruit borer was 9.15 (shoots) and 42.10% (fruits) in the 32nd and 39th SMW, respectively. Correlation coefficients worked out on the sucking pests revealed that the incidence of aphids was significantly and positively correlated with wind velocity. In contrast, shoot infestation by Leucinodes orbonalis was highly significant with evening relative humidity. About shoot infestation by this pest, rainfall, maximum and minimum temperature, morning and evening relative humidity were showing highly significant and negative correlations. With fruit infestation, relationship with evaporation and sunshine hours were found highly positively significant.

This study investigates the tension- tension fatigue behavior of carbon/epoxy laminates under constant amplitude loading. Workpieces were prepared as per with fiber orientation of 45˚ were tested at different stress levels, for R = 0.1 with a frequency 5 Hz. The overall stiffness reduction was evaluated in terms of natural frequency by using modal testing. The modal testing was applied at specific intervals by interrupting the fatigue testing. It is shown that modal testing a Nondestructive testing (NDT) method can be applied to the fatigue life stimation of CFRP laminates. Curve fitting technique was used for developing an empirical model for prediction of fatigue life of CFRP components. The experimental results found good agreement with the model results. From the experimental results it was concluded that the modal testing is useful as a NDT for estimation of fatigue life, natural frequency reduction model is capable of representing the overall stiffness reduction due to fatigue. Change in damping ratio (ζ) is more significant than change in natural frequency due to fatigue.

In this research experimentation is done to investigate the twisting performance of steel beam bonded exteriorly with sheets having polymer matrix strengthened with different fibers. Results of experiment are validated by using simulation software Ansys. Experimental results validated by Ansys software are utilized to train the neural network. The outcome of this research validate that neural network can be effectively implemented for prediction of twisting performance of steel I beam bonded exteriorly with sheets having polymer matrix strengthened with different fibers with fair precision to minimize the experimental work.

Waste disposal of expended lithium-ion batteries enables recovery, recycling and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Complete discharge of electrochemical devices, especially release through electrode material and current collector (copper/aluminum foils). The release among electrode material particles, is the essential requirement for ensuring the energy yield of polymer electrolytes. In this work, existing technologies which used release electrode materials with spent lithium-ion batteries. Treating the underlying effects of lithium-ion battery oxidation is especially complex of the indirect pathways identified. Aging mechanisms are also divided into three degradation modes (DMs) for simplicity: loss of conductivity, a deficit of active material, and decline of lithium production. It’s launched the lithium-ion secondary battery structure and assemblies outlined all forms of recycling processes from spent lithium-ion secondary batteries and provided some examples of common mixed recycling processes. Also, the problems and prospects of their recycling technology is discussed.

We present results based on analysis of the currently available 29.86 ks Chandra data on the Bright Group-Centered Galaxy (BGG) NGC 5846 of G50 group. A pair of X-ray cavities have been detected within a radius ? 1 kpc along the North-East and South-West directions. The analysis yielded the average cavity energy, ages and mechanical power equal to ~ 3:1 x 1048 erg, 0:61 x 107 yr and, 3:78 x 1041 erg s-1, respectively. The luminosity of X-ray emitting gas within the cooling radius (20 kpc) was found to be 2.4 x 1041 erg s??1, in agreement with the mechanical cavity power. The ratio of radio luminosity to mechanical cavity power is found to be 10??4. The Bondi accretion rate of the central supermassive black hole (SMBH) is ~ 5:95 x 10-5 M? yr-1 and the black-hole mass derived using the Bondi-accretion rate was found to be ~ 3:74 x 108 M?.

Wind energy is a created due the uneven heating of the earth surface and Coriolis acceleration. Wind energy source is capable of continuously and sustainably producing energy from renewable sources (RES). However, energy generation from the wind power plant has number of issues, such as initial investment costs, wind power plant stationary properties and difficulty in identifying wind power zones. Three deep learning algorithms are utilized in the study for predict short-term wind power generation from wind speed data. We suggested a system that would effectively predict wind power values of wind power by utilizing machine learning algorithms. The machine algorithms adopted for this study is Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Gated Reference Unit (GRU) and Recurrent Neural Network (RNN). The models proposed are applied in six times to the projection of wind farm output. The error analysis to balance performance and other approaches is carried out. More concerns are also discussed on short-term wind energy forecasts accuracy improvement. Furthermore, the results have shown that machine learning models can be used in locations other than models. This research showed that, if the basic location model is reasonable, machine learning algorithms could be efficiently used before installation of the wind power plants in an unknown geographical area.

Nickel-based superalloys have superior strength properties at higher temperature ranges and thus have become increasingly important in manufacturing gas turbine components for aerospace industry. However, the desire for a larger thrust-weight ratio has raised the typical operating temperature in a gas turbine; thus, thermal barrier coatings are essential. The present work compares the micro-drilling performance of ceramic-coated Nimonic 90 nickel superalloy under dry, flood and 0.5% graphene-based NMQL conditions. The biodegradable acid oil was used as a base oil, and the assessment comprised surface integrity in terms of surface roughness inside the hole and micro-crack formation and hole quality based on the diametrical overcut and taper ratio. Spindle speed (1000, 2000 and 3000 rpm) and feed rate (3, 6, and 9 μm/rev) were changed in three levels, and Taguchi L9 array was applied for the design and analysis of the experiments. Ti-Al-N coated tungsten carbide drill of diameter 700 μm was used, and Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that spindle speed was the utmost important parameter impacting surface roughness, while speed and feed rate both influenced overcut and taper ratio. 0.5% Graphene-based NMQL lubrication condition significantly diminished the surface roughness by 52.67%, overcut by 46.86% and the taper ratio by 48.87% as compared to dry condition. Furthermore, in the NMQL condition, micro-crack development and ceramic layer damage were minimized, resulting in better surface integrity. In addition, burr development was minimized at the hole periphery, and tool wandering was not seen in the NMQL condition. Hence the hole quality was superior in NMQL conditions as compared to the dry and flood lubrication.

Molecular therapy refers to targeted therapies based on molecules which have been intelligently directed towards specific biomolecular structures and include small molecule drugs, monoclonal antibodies, proteins and peptides, DNA or RNA-based strategies, targeted chemotherapy and nanomedicines. Molecular therapy is emerging as the most effective strategy to combat the present challenges of life-threatening visceral leishmaniasis, where the successful human vaccine is currently unavailable. Moreover, current chemotherapy-based strategies are associated with the issues of ineffective targeting, unavoidable toxicities, invasive therapies, prolonged treatment, high treatment costs and the development of drug-resistant strains. Thus, the rational approach to antileishmanial drug development primarily demands critical exploration and exploitation of biochemical differences between host and parasite biology, immunocharacteristics of parasite homing, and host-parasite interactions at the molecular/cellular level. Following this, the novel technology-based designing and development of host and/or parasite-targeted therapeutics having leishmanicidal and immunomodulatory activity is utmost essential to improve treatment efficacy. Thus, the present review is focused on immunological and molecular checkpoint targets in host-pathogen interaction, and molecular therapeutic prospects for Leishmania intervention, and the challenges ahead.

The reuse of ceramic waste as a substitute for coarse aggregate in concrete has been investigated in this paper. The ceramic wastes are of three types, namely Tiles, Clay bricks were used. This study focuses on use of ceramic tile aggregate in concrete production. Ceramic tile obtained from manufacturing industries, construction and demolition sites that affects to environmental pollution. The utilization of crushed tile as a coarse aggregate in concrete are also have a positive effect on the economy. So the reuses of ceramic tile aggregate are major effect on the environment. In the present study, Ceramic tile waste are used in concrete for natural coarse aggregate with 0%, 5%,10%, 20% of the substitution and M20 grade concrete were used. Some of laboratory tests are performed. The concrete moulds were casted and tested for Compressive Strength and after a curing period of 3, 7 & 28 days. During the period of curing properties of concrete are achieved more effectively.

Objective: Amputations of fingers and significant parts of upper limbs are common following industrial injuries. This study was aimed at assessing the functional outcome in patients with hand replantation following amputation at the level of distal forearm or wrist. Methods: Patients presenting with amputation at the level of wrist and forearm between Jan 2015 and December 1018, with adequate follow up were included. The function in terms of total active motion at the fingers and wrist, sensory recovery, and patient satisfaction and DASH scores at the final follow up were noted. Results: Four cases of replantation at the level of wrist and one replantation at distal forearm level were included in the study. A total of 3 patients were excluded for various reasons. The average follow-up period was 38 months. The average total active motion of fingers achieved was 212○ . All patients recovered protective sensations. Conclusion: Replantation of amputated major upper limb parts restores useful function and should be attempted. Minimizing ischaemia time, secure fixation, primary repair of structures and early motion are determinants of reasonable functional outcome. Level of evidence: IV.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to study the antibacterial property of Curcuma longa. Human beings are dependent on the use of plants and herbs as a source of drugs for curing ailments since ancient times. Herbs are medicinal plants which are created by nature for curing human diseases. Ayurvedic Materia Medica is a rich repository of herbs and about 2000 plant species mentioned in Ayurveda are used to cure various diseases in human beings. In Veda and Atharvaveda, written around 2000 BC, there are a lot of medical references and prescriptions showing beneficial results in a cure for a number of human chronic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, neuralgia, jaundice, skin diseases, gout, tumors, encephalitis, and bronchitis. Most of the medicinal plants and herbs have been found to have antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and protective properties. The use of the traditional system of medicines in India and China such as Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha is around 5000 years old, which recommends management of lifestyle, including diet management, exercise, and meditation along with treatment, including specific herbs to cure several ailments. Curcuma longa a traditional herbal medicine is widely used in India since ancient times to cure several ailments.In the present study, antibacterial property of ethanolic extract, extracted from dried rhizomes of Curcuma longa was studied in microbiology laboratory against different bacterial strains. Materials and Methods: The dried rhizomes of Curcuma longa were purchased from local market in Punjab. The collected roots of Curcuma longa were washed, shade dried, grounded to fine powder and was subjected to soxhlet extraction using ethanol as solvent. Two bacterial strains were used in current study; one was Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli. The method to access antibacterial activity was Cylinder Plate method. Results: 50 gm. of dried powder was subjected to Soxhlet extraction using ethanol solvent to get the extract of curcumin for investigation of antibacterial activity of turmeric against different Gram-positive and Gram negative bacterial strains using cylindrical plate method. A distinguished zones of inhibition 6.5 mm, 7.5 mm, and 11 mm in diameter were seen under plates containing different concentrations of Curcuma longa extract. Conclusion: The potentiality of extract of Curcuma longa to inhibit the growth of microbial strains indicates its broad-spectrum antibacterial property which can be used for the betterment of health of society to treat several infections. Turmeric and its constituents may be included in modern system of medicine for the development of new dosage forms to treat several diseases with natural herbs with lesser adverse effects in comparison to allopathic system of medicine and improve the health and wellness of our society.

An adsorbent, mahogany fruit shell activated carbon(MFSAC), was derived from environmental friendly raw material, i.e. agriculture waste and explored for bench scale adsorption of toxic Pb(II). A facile MFSAC material was synthesised using a chemical activation method using concentrated sulphuric acid as an impregnating (activating) reagent. So derived adsorbent material was characterised by FTIR, XRD, BET, SEM, EDAX, TGA and XPS techniques to know the properties and plausible adsorption mechanism. Bench scale adsorption of toxic Pb(II) and maximum adsorption capacity of MFSAC were exhibited through batch adsorption experiments. The effect of physico-chemical parameters such as pH (1–7), MFSAC amount (0.5–5.0 g L−1), Pb(II) concentration (200–1000 mgL−1), contact period (60–600 min) and orbital shaking speed (60–200 rpm) was studied for maximum removal of Pb(II) upto 99.70 ± 0.17%. The experimental data follow the Langmuir adsorption isotherm with a maximum monolayer adsorption capacity 322.28 mg g−1and pseudo-second-order kinetic uptake rate. The thermodynamic and temperature study revealed that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic in nature (ΔHo = 43.37 kJ mole−1, ΔSo = 158.02 J mol−1K−1). Most importantly, the MFSAC adsorbent was successfully regenerated and reused with conspicuous performance up to five consecutive cycles. The bench-scale adsorption with simple synthesis route, good stability and remarkable regeneration capability makes the MFSAC as an encouraging adsorbent for wastewater treatment.

Background: Class II malocclusion is one of the most common problems around the globe affecting around one-third of the patients who come for orthodontic treatment Management of class II malocclusion in adolescent patients by growth modulation is one of the most debated topics in orthodontics. Noncompliance has been a major concern for orthodontists. Case Report: This case report describes the management of class II malocclusion in an 18 year old female patient using “Forsus” fixed functional appliance system to correct her class II malocclusion. The patient was well beyond her growing years, hence the fixed functional appliance bought more of dento-alveolar changes rather than much of skeletal changes. This appliance has several advantages, as it is an operator handled device and the patient cannot remove it. It acts on the teeth and jaws for 24 hours a day, patient compliance is not a problem, and hence treatment duration is shorter. Conclusion: The profile changes and treatment results were demonstrated. This case report illustrates that, fixed functional appliances have a significant role in the management of class II malocclusion by not only promoting growth modulation, but also encouraging dento-alveolar changes once growth has completed. Both growth modulation and dento-alveolar correction minimizes the necessity of extraction of permanent teeth and probably orthognathic surgery. With proper case selection and good patient cooperation, we can obtain a significant result with the Forsus Fixed appliance. Clinical significance: Fixed functional appliances have a significant role in the management of class II malocclusion. It eliminates the massive compliance needed in removable fixed appliance therapy. Nonetheless, the growth modulation minimizes the necessity of extraction of permanent teeth and probably orthognathic surgery. Keywords: Forsus, Fixed functional appliance, Class II Malocclusion, Growth Modulation, Non-compliance therapy.

The experimental densities of a local anesthetical drug, tetracaine hydrochloride (TC·HCl) in aqueous binary (H2O + TC·HCl) solutions and aqueous ternary electrolytic solutions (H2O + NaCl/KCl + TC·HCl) are reported at 288.15, 293.15, 298.15, 303.15 and 308.15 K in the dilute concentration region. The densities, were used to calculate apparent molar volumes ( $$V_{\phi }$$ ) at the finite concentrations of TC·HCl at the studied temperatures. The coefficient of thermal expansion (α) of solutions and the apparent molar expansivity ( $$E_{\phi }$$ ) of the solute, at 293.15, 298.15 and 303.15 K are also obtained. The limiting apparent molar volume ( $$V_{\phi }^{0}$$ ) and limiting apparent molar expansivity ( $$E_{\phi }^{0}$$ ) of TC·HCl were estimated using extrapolation methods. It is noted that the solute expansivity goes through a minimum in water as a function of temperature and at lower concentrations of electrolytes. By using the $$V_{\phi }^{0}$$ data of the studied binary and ternary systems, the values of transfer volumes, that is, volume changes due to transfer ( $$\Delta_{{{\text{tr}}}} V_{\phi }^{0}$$ ) from aqueous to mixed electrolyte solutions, are estimated. The observed $$\Delta_{{{\text{tr}}}} V_{\phi }^{0}$$ values are found to be both temperature and concentration dependent. The excess molar volume of mixing ( $$\Delta_{\text{m}} V^{{\text{E}}}$$ ) are also calculated at 298.15 K. The volume changes due to micellization are small and the sign and magnitude depend upon the structure making and breaking abilities of the salt. It is suggested that the micelles involved are of the stacking type and not in the form of linear aggregates. The hydration shell water structure around the cations seems to be controlled by temperature and the nature of the perturbing ions. The results are explained in terms of unique stacking type interaction, akin to micelles but differing in details on the mode of interactions.

Nowadays, there has been an exponential grow in the number of vehicles moving on the roads, causing an unavoidable intensification of levels in the traffic noise. There is no second opinion on the ...

Synthetic nanotechnology has attracted a great deal of attention from researchers for the synthesis of assorted materials at nanoscale dimension. Researchers are more attracted to microwave-assisted route for the synthesis of ferrite nanomaterials due to its simplicity. Barium ferrite (BF) nanomaterials are prepared by two strategies: the barium oxalate and the iron oxalate strategy. Thermal decomposition of barium oxalate precursor and ferrous oxalate precursor has been done using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a fuel. Self-propagating combustion reaction of metal oxalates takes place with fuel, which controls the size of the particle. Solvent casting method is used for the preparation of barium ferrite-dispersed poly(methyl methacrylate) (BF–PMMA) nanocomposite. The structure of the as-prepared samples was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD) study and particle morphology of the sample done by scanning electron micrograph (SEM) technique. The presence of barium and iron metals in the sample is confirmed by EDX analysis. Bonding nature of the ferrite is studied by Fourier transform (FT-IR) tool. Thermal and electrical studies of the samples are also undertaken to know the thermal electrical behaviour. UV absorbance study of the said composite is also undertaken.

Impact of Swift Heavy Ion (SHI) irradiation is an effective way to tailor the properties of materials to enhance their applicability toward high-end applications. In the present investigation, hydr...

In recent years, there is an incredible development in technology, which brought innovative changes in the educational sector. Active learning approaches are vital in teaching learning process such as content delivery, assessment, monitoring, etc. This paper discussed about active learning activities as simulation tool, buzz activity through animated video, and poster presentation. In addition to this, we checked students' performance and impact to gain knowledge by considering result analysis and course outcome attainment of two consecutive years for �computer organization� course. Individual students learning performance and learning interest increased due to implementation of different active learning tools during classes.

In this paper, Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility (AMS) data from the rocks of Almora crystalline in the vicinity of Rameshwar is presented. The study integrates field, microstructural and Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility (AMS) studies. Field foliation strike shows NW-SE orientation with moderate to high dip in rocks of Almora Crystalline, whereas near North Almora Thrust rocks of Almora Crystalline are steeply dipping and litho-units are intensely mylonitized due to NE-SW regional compression. The magnetic foliations are recorded to be parallel to the field foliation of the study area. Variation in orientation of magnetic lineation is inferred to imply superposed deformation in the study area. AMS study also reveals that the shape of susceptibility ellipsoid is oblate which is inferred to be due to compression.

Background A spinal epidural arachnoid cyst (SEAC) is a rare clinical entity. We performed a systematic review of the literature to obtain information regarding demographics, clinical presentation, treatment modalities, and outcome of SEACs. Methods A literature search was performed by using the databases PubMed/Medline, PubMed Central, Embase, Cochrane Library, Ovid MEDLINE, and Ovid Medline In-Process. A total of 170 articles were found on literature search. We found 575 cases of SEAC since 1904 for inclusion in the review including three cases which were operated by us. We studied the patient characteristics, clinical features, and management strategies, and evaluated their outcome. Results The average age of presentation was 30 years with a male:female ratio of 1.03:1. They are commonly seen in the thoracic region (42.3%). The length of cyst was more than two vertebral levels in 85.81%. Mean symptom duration was 29 months, with most common presentation being that of compressive myelopathy. A good clinical outcome was present in symptomatic patients who had a shorter symptom duration and underwent complete surgical excision of the SEAC. Age, sex, length of lesion, and presence of dural defect did not have a bearing on the surgical outcome. Conclusion For thoracic compressive myelopathy in a young patient, SEAC should be kept as a differential diagnosis. Surgical complete excision of the cyst with meticulous closure of the dural defect is the standard in management for a good clinical outcome.

Recently in urban areas, road traffic noise is one of the primary sources of noise pollution. Variation in noise level is impacted by the synthesis of traffic and the percentage of heavy vehicles. Presentation to high noise levels may cause serious impact on the health of an individual or community residing near the roadside. Thus, predicting the vehicular traffic noise level is important. The present study aims at the formulation of regression, an artificial neural network (ANN) and an adaptive neuro-fuzzy interface system (ANFIS) model using the data of observed noise levels, traffic volume, and average speed of vehicles for the prediction of L10 and Leq. Measured noise levels are compared to the noise levels predicted by the experimental model. It is observed that the ANFIS approach is more superior when compared to output given by regression and an ANN model. Also, there exists a positive correlation between measured and predicted noise levels. The proposed ANFIS model can be utilized as a tool for traffic direction and planning of new roads in zones of similar land use pattern.