Archives-December 

In this research work, Artificial Neural Network Model(ANN) for the composite circular steel tubes- with re-cycled concrete infill with three different grades of concrete(M20,M40 and M60) are tested for ultimate load capacity and axial shortening , under axial monotonic loading for compression has been developed. Steel tubes are compared for different lengths, cross sections and thickness, and specimens were tested separately. In this paper, authors have developed a suitable artificial neural network model using feed forward back propagation network having verified it for 11 hidden layers as per Kolmogorov’s theorem. The developed ANN model has been verified with the experimental results conducted on composite steel columns (axial load) using Tagauchi’s model. Being a flexible building method, the ANN is an ideal tool to construct the complex relationship between the input and the output parameters accurately. The ANN technique is used to predict the crushing behavior of axial shortening and ultimate axial load in composite circular steel columns. Effects of parameters such as network architecture and number of hidden layer neurons are considered. Predictions are compared to experimental results and are shown to be in good agreement.

The study examined the antioxidant and anti-lipid peroxidative activity of Corchorus olitorius. Antioxidant activity was examined in-vitro by 1,1,-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging method. Lipid peroxidation, examined by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in erythrocytes of three groups of mice fed different levels of C. olitorius, showed reduction in MDA from 1.38 to 0.94 ?mol/g Hb and 1.22 to 0.83 ?mol/g Hb in male and female mice respectively. No significant change in weights (p>0.05) were found in the liver, kidney, heart, spleen and lungs of the mice. Changes in body weights were significant (p<0.05) suggesting C. olitorius’ potential use in obesity management.

To assess socioeconomic status, empowerment level, and habitual food intake pattern among ethnic women living in the north-west part of Bangladesh. An observational study. Ethnic women of two selected districts (Dinajpur and Joypurhat). 106 females at their reproductive age (15-49 years) were selected for the study. Information on socio-demographic characteristics, women’s empowerment indicators in agricultural index, food frequency patterns were collected during interviewing the women. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess the habitual intake of dietary patterns. Results revealed that almost all of the ethnic women were over 19 years old in which the mothers/caregivers were the dominant groups (62.2%). The secondary schooling rate (27.3%) was higher among the mother or caregivers although Illiteracy was widespread (36.7%) for all ethnic women. Income strata between two districts showed that their mean monthly incomes (4418 ± 397.49 TK. and 5347.72 ± 743.21 TK. for Dinajpur and Joypurhat district respectively) were below the national income level and households from both districts spent their major proportion of income for purchasing the food items (mean; 1592.95 ± 98.13 TK.). The rate of women empowerment was very low for all five domains, and particularly 33% of women felled little decision power over the use of income domain. Further, the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) showed that the entire studied women consumed rice daily, and almost all of the studied women (94%) never consumed wheat flour. Around 90% of women consumed dark green leafy vegetables between 1-2 days per week and half of the women consumed vitamin-A rich fruits and vegetables on average two days per week. The current observational study provides a piece of important information of ethnic women of the north-west part of Bangladesh, who were socioeconomically poor, less empowered and consumed inadequate nutrient-dense foods

The experiment was conducted to study the effect of varying plant population of two sorghum cultivars on growth and yield at three sites(Degain,Tendeli 8 and Tendeli 12) within the Gash delta Eastern Sudan , during 2014/15 and 2016/17) seasons. The RCBD design used for split-split plot trail. The treatments include two cultivars (Tabat andAklamoi) and three planting densities spacing within the row of 30, 45 and 60 cm between holes. Correlation analysis technique has been used for finding association between agronomic characters in the three sites. Generally the mean number of tillers, phonology, seeds/panicle, panicle length and 100-seed weight had positive strong significant correlation with plant height, and phonological attributes but they had moderate positive correlation with LAI, panicles/m2 and grain yield/ha. 100-Seed weight and panicle length were positively correlated with all characters except stem diameter, panicles/m2 and grain yield/ha. Likewise, LAI and number of tillers had significant and positive correlation with all characters. Grain yield per hectare was positively and significantly correlated with most of the studied traits. Results of analysis revealed significant and positive correlation among the variables and showed that these variables could play a vital role in increasing yield of sorghum hybrid.

Bat guano is an old faecal matter of bat was collected from the old temples located in the rim of Lonar crater of Lonar, Buldana District, Maharashtra (India). It is known for the degradation of pollutants. The sugar factory effluent has the characteristics of hardness due to the presence of Ca++ and Mg++. In the present study an attempt has been made to employ the Bat guano to reduce the hardness of the reclaimed water from sugar factory. There was a significant decrease of hardness against controls. There were 10.47, 14.82, 22.63 and 31.88% reduction at the interval of 10, 20, 30, 40 days in the water after application of Bat guano. The results are discussed with hardness pollution reduction. Our investigation indicates that bat guano used for degradation of water pollutants and bioremediation of aquatic ecosystem and also for waste water treatments.

Macro-benthos communities are often threatened by environmental changes which are associated with pollution, erosion and siltation. Since paucity of information was available on Itapaji Reservoir benthic macro-invertebrates composition, a pertinent study to ascertain the quality of the water for its sustainable management becomes crucial. The reservoir was monthly sampled for benthic macro-invertebrates (BMI) from April, 2013 to March, 2015 at five purposively selected stations. Samples were collected using Van-Veen grab (surface area, 0.6m2), sieved (mesh size, 0.5 mm), sorted, identified using standard identification keys, and counted macroscopically. Species diversity was determined with Shannon Weiner’s Index (H). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, student’s t-test, and ANOVA at ?0.05. Two phyla comprise of seventeen species of BMI were recorded with moderately intolerant benthic macro-invertebrates dominating. Higher macro-benthos organisms were recorded in the rainy season with Chaoborus larvae dominated the assemblages in both seasons. All the encountered benthos differed significantly at p<0.05 across the sampling stations, while sampling station 3 recorded the highest abundance. The order of dominance coupled with Shannon Weiner’s diversity index of less than 3.0 revealed that the habitat is unstable, and perturbed due to run-off of anthropogenic material from the adjourning land.

We develope the models of defense budget demand by bureaucratic model. To see the business usual characterstics, we assume defense spending is the degree of inertia of the budget period, because a group of actors who enter into, always want to maintain the status quo and their positions. The results shows that Indonesia's defense budget policies positively affected by last year's defense budget with a low level of sensitivity. Although still business as usual, but the military actors only gave little influence to the policy.We develope the models of defense budget demand by bureaucratic model. To see the business usual characterstics, we assume defense spending is the degree of inertia of the budget period, because a group of actors who enter into, always want to maintain the status quo and their positions. The results shows that Indonesia's defense budget policies positively affected by last year's defense budget with a low level of sensitivity. Although still business as usual, but the military actors only gave little influence to the policy.

Fisher folk form an important community in Kerala, but remain neglected and marginalized in spite of the higher socio-economic progress the state has made as a whole. While we consider fisher folk, they remain isolated from the main stream of development. They remained educationally backward also. It is well known that a rapid growth in educational attainment is the most successful medium for social empowerment of the disadvantaged. The path towards our goal of achieving progress and prosperity of the nation is necessarily through equipping the backward sections through knowledge and skills. They need to be empowered by equipping them with self-sufficiency and existence skills such as Self Confidence, Problem Solving Ability, Logical thinking, Decision Making Power, Computational Speed and Reasoning etc. The present paper throws light on the Supreme power of Vedic Mathematics in enhancing these skills.

Describe the different therapeutic modalities of Carcinosarcoma of the Larynx.We report the case of a 55-year-old patient who presented with a Carcinosarcoma of the Larynx. Mr. M., 55 years old, chronic smoker, consults for dysphonia and dysphagia associated with dyspnea, which has been evolving for 12 months, progressively worsening, and necessitated an emergency tracheotomy. CT scan showed a well-circumscribed three-stage process of tissue density. Containing hyperdense images, without cartilage lysis. Carcinosarcoma of the larynx is an extraordinarily rare histological type and prone to metastases to the cervical ganglion. A complete surgical procedure of primary laryngeal lesions with wide margins, associated with a well-established bilateral cervical lymph node dissection is the best therapeutic option. Close and frequent monitoring is necessary to detect a local recurrence or a metastatic. It is essential to collect more data on the biological behavior of these tumors to determine the prognostic factors and the appropriate treatment modalities.

Capacitive pressure sensor have been fabricated over a titanium diaphragm of 2.5[mm] thickness for sensing pressure in order to prevent the heart failure. This capacitive pressure sensor is implantable in a heart in order to monitor the blood pressure with the help of medical stent