A Two-Parameter Lindley Distribution for Modeling Waiting and Survival Times Data

In this paper, a two-parameter Lindley distribution, of which the one parameter Lindley distribution (LD) is a particular case, for modeling waiting and survival times data has been introduced. Its moments, failure rate function, mean residual life function, and stochastic orderings have been discussed. It is found that the expressions for failure rate function mean residual life function and stochastic orderings of the two-parameter LD shows flexibility over one-parameter LD and exponential distribution. The maximum likelihood method and the method of moments have been discussed for estimating its parameters. The distribution has been fitted to some data-sets relating to waiting times and survival times to test its goodness of fit to which earlier the one parameter LD has been fitted by others and it is found that to almost all these data-sets the two parameter LD distribution provides closer fits than those by the one parameter LD.

Characterization of Black Carbon in the Ambient Air of Agra,India:Seasonal Variation and Meteorological Influence

This study characterizes the black carbon in Agra, India home to the Taj Mahal--and situated in the lndo-Gangetic basin. The mean black carbon concentration is 9.5 μg m-3 and, owing to excessive biomass/fossil fuel combustion and automobile emissions, the concentration varies considerably. Seasonally, the black carbon mass concentration is highest in winter, probably due to the increased fossil fuel consumption for heating and cooking, apart from a low boundary layer. The nocturnal peak rises prominently in winter, when the use of domestic heating is excessive. Meanwhile, the concentration is lowest during the monsoon season because of the turbulent atmospheric conditions and the process of washout by precipitation. The ratio of black carbon to brown carbon is less than unity during the entire study period, except in winter （December）. This may be because that biomass combustion and diesel exhaust are major black carbon contributors in this region, while a higher ratio in winter may be due to the increased consumption of fossil fuel and wood for heating purposes. ANOVA reveals significant monthly variation in the concentration of black carbon; plus, it is negatively correlated with wind speed and temperature. A high black carbon mass concentration is observed at moderate （1-2 m s-1） wind speed, as compared to calm or turbulent atmospheric conditions.

Current Seasonal Variations in Physicochemical and Heavy Metals Parameters of Sewage Treatment Plant Effluent and Suitability for Irrigation

The study aims to investigate the current extent of physicochemical parameters and heavy metal contamination in the effluent of the Jaganpur sewage treatment plant (STP), Dayalbagh, Agra India. Majority of the nearby farmers have access to use of STP effluent in irrigation purposes for growing major edible crops. The problems of using STP effluent for irrigation purpose, continuous water quality analysis required. To check the quality of irrigation water, substantial physicochemical parameters accordance to Indian Standards (IS-Reaffirmed 2002/2003) analysed to calculate Sodium absorption ratio (SAR) and Residual sodium carbonate (RSC). To estimate the heavy metal pollution index (HPI) and metal quality index (MQI), toxic Heavy metals such as As, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pd, Cd, Co, and B also determined in the STP effluent with an AAS and results verified with ICP-OES against certified standards. The high value of SAR (range 13 to 20) and RSC (range -10 to 11) in STP effluent exceeded the permissible limit for irrigation purpose. On the other hand, HPI and MQI values (1692.4 and 58.1, respectively) show that high metal contamination mainly due to industrial and domestic wastewater does not treat appropriately in the sewage treatment plant. Thus it is suggested that further studies are carried out on the STP effluents to improve the water quality through proper treatment. Treated wastewater used for irrigation purposes needs to analyse the contamination like heavy metals and pinpoint the pollution sources.

Bi_(2)O_(3)/ZnO nanocomposite:Synthesis,characterizations and its application in electrochemical detection of balofloxacin as an antibiotic drug

In the present work,a chemically modified electrode has been fabricated utilizing Bi_(2)O_(3)/ZnO nanocomposite.The nanocomposite was synthesized by simple sonochemical method and characterized for its structural and morphological properties by using XRD,FESEM,EDAX,HRTEM and XPS techniques.The results clearly indicated co-existence of Bi_(2)O_(3) and ZnO in the nanocomposite with chemical interaction between them.Bi_(2)O_(3)/ZnO nanocomposite based glassy carbon electrode(GCE)was utilized for sensitive voltammetric detection of an anti-biotic drug(balofloxacin).The modification amplified the electroactive surface area of the sensor,thus providing more sites for oxidation of analyte.Cyclic and square wave voltammograms revealed that Bi_(2)O_(3)/ZnO modified electrode provides excellent electrocatalytic action towards balofloxacin oxidation.The current exhibited a wide linear response in concentration range of 150e1000 nM and detection limit of 40.5 nM was attained.The modified electrode offered advantages in terms of simplicity of preparation,fair stability(RSD 1.45%),appreciable reproducibility(RSD 2.03%)and selectivity.The proposed sensor was applied for determining balofloxacin in commercial pharmaceutical formulations and blood serum samples with the mean recoveries of 99.09% and 99.5%,respectively.

Lethal effect of Streptomyces citreofluorescens against larvae of malaria,filaria and dengue vectors

Objective:To investigate lethal effect of culture filtrates of Streptomyces citreofluorescens （S.citreofluorescens） against Anopheles stephensi（An.stephensi）,Culex quinquefasciatus（Cx. quinquefasciatus）,and Aedes aegypti（Ae.aegypti） larvae vectors for malaria,filarial and dengue. Methods:The culture filtrates obtained from S.cilreofluorescens 2528 was grown in Potato Dextrose Broth（PDB）,filtrated and used for the bioassay after a growth of 15 days.Results:The results demonstrated that the An.stephensi shows mortalities with LC50,LG40 values of first instar 46.8μL/mL,79.5μL/mL,second instar 79.0μL/mL,95.6μL/mL,third instar 79.0μL/mL,136.9μL/mL,and fourth instar 122.6μL/mL,174.5μL/mL Whereas,The Cx.quinquefasciatus were found effective on first instar 40.0μL/mL,138.03μL/mL,second instar 80.0μL/ml,181.97μL/ mL,third instar 100.0μL/mL,309.2μL/mL,and fourth instar 60.0μL/ml,169.82μL/mL.The Ae.aegypti were successfully achieved susceptible with higher concentrations in comparisons of An.stephensi and Cx.quinquefasciatus larvae.These outcomes of the investigations have compared with the Chitinase of Streptomyces griseus（S.griseus） C6137 that shows 90%-95% mortality.Conclusions:These new findings significantly permitted that the culture filtrates of S. citreofluorescens can be used as bacterial larvicides.This is an environmentally safe approach to control the vectors of malaria,dengue and filariasis of tropical areas.

Status of carbohydrate,protein and lipid profile in the mosquito larvae treated with certain phytoextracts

Objective:To investigate the impact of the most potent petroleum ether extract of Artemisia annua(A.annua) and Azadirachta indica(Az.indica) on total carbohydrate,lipid and protein level of Anopheles stephensi and Culex quinquefasciatus larvae.Methods:Mosquito larvae were exposed to the extracts selected as per standard WHO procedure.Carbohydrate(glucose),total lipid and protein were estimated by the methods as Nelson,Bragdon and Lowry described, respectively.Results:The glucose levels were increased to 27.87%and 46.8%,respectively in anopheline larval tissues after treatment with petroleum ether extract of A.annua and methanolic extract of Az.indica.In culicine larvae,glucose levels were reduced to 58.96%and 24.65%, respectively.After treatment with A.annua extract,lipid contents in anopheline and culicine larvae decreased by 28.57%and 25.0%,respectively and increased by 14.29%and 50.00%in the Anopheles and Culex larvae,respectively after treatment with methanolic extract of Az. indica.Total protein levels were reduced to 63.13%and 92.62%in anopheline and to 32.39%and 48.12%in culicine larvae after treatment with A.annua and Az.Indica extracts,respectively. Conclusions:Two extracts produce significant alterations in the biochemical pr of iles of anopheline and culicine larvae.Further,the impacting factors of extracts on carbohydrate,lipid and protein contents of larvae are species and specific extraction.It indicates the disturbed metabolic activity of the larvae.

Evaluation of Inhibitory Effect of the Plant Phyllanthus amarus Against Dermatophytic Fungi Microsporum gypseum

Objective The antifungal activity of various solvent extracts (such as ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and ethyl alcohol) of the plant Phyllanthus amarus against dermatophytic fungi Microsporum gypseum was observed. Method Antifungal bioassay in terms of reduction in weight, colony diameter and sporulation of the target fungal colony was carried out using Broth Dilution method. Results Root part of the plant, extracted in various organic solvents did not show any noticeable antifungal activity. The percentage inhibition observed in different solvent extracts of aerial part was found as reduction in weight: chloroform [50.3%], ethyl acetate [27.7%] and ethyl alcohol [12.1%], reduction in colony diameter: chloroform [53.4%], ethyl acetate [31.4%] and ethyl alcohol [15.0%] and reduction in sporulation: maximum inhibition in chloroform extract, at test concentration of 4000 ppm at incubation period of 8 days. Conclusion Chloroform fraction of the aerial part of the plant P. amarus shows significant inhibitory effect against dermatophytic fungi M. gypseum and requires chemical characterization for its bioactive principle.

Mapping Spatial Data on the Web Using Free and Open-Source Tools: A Prototype Implementation

There is a growing need for web-based geographic information systems for easy and fast dissemination, sharing, displaying and processing of spatial information. The tremendous growth in the use of web and open-source geospatial resources has sparked development of web-based spatial applications to address multidisciplinary issues with spatial dimensions. This paper presents the integration of open-source geospatial tools and web technology to visualize and interact with spatial data using web browser. The goal of this paper is to implement a prototype system for web-based mapping by providing step-by-step instructions in order to encourage the eager developers and interested readers to publish their maps on the web with no prior technical experience in map servers. The implementation of mapping prototype shows the utilization of open-source geospatial tools which results in a rapid implementation with minimal or no software input cost.

Possible Mosquito Control by Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized by Soil Fungus (<i>Aspergillus niger 2587</i>)

Here, we have synthesized the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) by using the soil fungus Aspergillus niger 2587. The results recorded from UV-vis spectrophotometer and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) support the biosynthesis and characterization of AgNPs. The synthesized silver nanoparticles have also been tested against the larvae and pupae of Anopheles stephensi, Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes aegypti. The efficacy test was performed at different concentrations for a period of different hours by the probit analysis. The larvae of Cx. quinquefasciatus have shown the 100% mortality to the synthesized AgNPs after 1 h of exposure, while the larvae of An. stephensi and Ae. aegypti were found less susceptible to the synthesized AgNPs. The pupa of Ae. aegypti has shown the efficacy LC50 4, LC90 12 and LC99 19 ppm after 2 h of exposure of the synthesized AgNPs, while, the pupae of Cx. quinquefasciatus and An. stephensi were found less susceptible to the synthesized AgNPs. By this approach, it is suggestive that this rapid synthesis of nanoparticles would be proper for developing a biological process for mosquito control.

Effect of LASER on the Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles with Reference to Geometries

Problem Statement: In the current study the effort was being made to investigate the effect of LASER light on the shape and geometries of Gold Nanoparticles. Light is an important parameter that plays significant role in the formation of nanoparticles;in this study LASER lights of selected wavelengths and colors have been used for the exposure of Gold Nanoparticles. The possibilities to manipulate the geometries of Gold Nanoparticles by altering the colors and wavelengths of LASER have been studied with reference to their efficacy against Culex quinquefasciatus. Approach: In the experimental setup four black boxes are used with no exposure to light sources. Three LASER with selected wavelengths and colors were fixed in the boxes at a specific angle, and then the nanoparticle solution was allowed to react. The micrographs of the Gold nanoparticles have been evaluated through the Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). Results: The TEM images have shown formation of different shapes of nanoparticles due to exposure in different colors and wavelengths of LASER. Thus it explains that the wavelength and colour of the light plays a decisive role in the formation of the shapes and geometries of the nanoparticles.

Consciousness and Smoke of Clouding Waves of Desires

There are, vide spread, religious beliefs that creation is the result of desire of the Ultimate Reality or the Divine Force for its expansion. In this paper I endeavour to explain that human form is disintegrated part of that divine desire. The tendency or desire to grow and expand in the individuals is the force behind every activity of the world. Consciousness packed in the city of human body is a pack of desires. The clouds of strong desires well up from within and surround individuals to push them forward to action, will and determination. One has to distinguish between the crazy desires of mind for temporary pleasures and desires for permanent bliss.

Consciousness, Divinity and Trinity of Human Form

Paper refers to the basic Indian philosophy of consciousness, trinity of its functions of creation, preservation and dissolution, trinity of modes of nature, trinity of belief in divinity as God the father, the son and the messenger and endeavors to explain the human form as trinity of microcosm of divinity with its awareness, strong urge and natural instincts operating as a tool, technician and transmitter of fulfillment of divine desire and functions.

A Robust Denoising Algorithm for Sounds of Musical Instruments Using Wavelet Packet Transform

In this paper, a robust DWPT based adaptive bock algorithm with modified threshold for denoising the sounds of musical instruments shehnai, dafli and flute is proposed. The signal is first segmented into multiple blocks depending upon the minimum mean square criteria in each block, and then thresholding methods are used for each block. All the blocks obtained after denoising the individual block are concatenated to get the final denoised signal. The discrete wavelet packet transform provides more coefficients than the conventional discrete wavelet transform (DWT), representing additional subtle detail of the signal but decision of optimal decomposition level is very important. When the sound signal corrupted with additive white Gaussian noise is passed through this algorithm, the obtained peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) depends upon the level of decomposition along with shape of the wavelet. Hence, the optimal wavelet and level of decomposition may be different for each signal. The obtained denoised signal with this algorithm is close to the original signal.

Experimental and Parameterization Method for Evaluation of Dry Deposition of S Compounds to Natural Surfaces

This paper deals with parameterization method based on meteorological parameters for calculation of dry deposition of S compounds on natural surface (leaf of Cassia siamea) and direct measurement method. A scheme based on meteorological parameters has been evolved to calculate the dry deposition theoretically and a computer program has been developed. Experimentally dry deposition flux of S on leaf of Cassia siamea was measured by exposing the leaf surfaces on non-dewy, non-foggy and non rainy days and washing the leaf surfaces with deionised water and samples were analyzed by Dionex Dx-500 Ion Chromatograph. Atmospheric concentration of SO2 was 3.54±1.41 μg m-3 and particulate SO42- was 2.72±1.15 μg m-3. Theoretically obtained dry deposition velocity of SO2 and SO42- are 0.32 cm s-1 and 0.75cm s-1, respectively. The calculated deposition of S as total sulphate (gaseous SO2 and particulate SO42-) to Cassia leaf was 2.05±0.78mg m-2 d-1 and experimentally obtained dry deposition of S as sulphate was 1.07±1.35 mg m-2 d-1. The experimentally and theoretically obtained mean values for S as SO42- are comparable.

Analysis and simulation of a single-phase seven-level inverter controlled by modified sinusoidal PWM technique

In this paper,a modified sinusoidal pulse width modulation(MSPWM)technique and a modified single-phase H-bridge seven-level inverter is proposed.The switching pulses for the proposed seven-level inverter are generated using a single triangular carrier waveform,a fully rectified sinusoidal signal,and three stepped reference signals(Uref1,Uref2 and Uref3).Using optimization technique,the magnitude of the stepped reference signal is determined so that the total harmonic distortion(THD)of the output voltage waveform is minimum and the fundamental component,RMS value of the voltage is improved for a given modulation index Ma as compared to the sinusoidal pulse width modulation(SPWM).By the implementation of the new scheme,the seven-level of the inverter output voltage level(+Vdc,+2Vdc/3,+Vdc/3,0,−Vdc,−2Vdc/3,−Vdc)is obtained for any given modulation index.Similarly,if only two stepped reference signals are used then the inverter will act as a five-level inverter for any modulating index Ma.The proposed MSPWM and seven-level inverter are simulated on MATLAB/SIMULINK for R,R-L load and on a single-phase capacitor-start and capacitor-start-run Induction Motor.

All-optical switching in 3,3'-diethyl-2,2'-thiatricarbocy-anine Iodide dye molecules

All-optical switching has been theoretically analyzed in the 3,3'-diethyl-2,2'-thiatricarbocyanine iodide(DTTCI) carbocyanine dye that exhibits large excited-state absorption to achieve high contrast and fast switching.Switching has been analyzed both ns and ps pump pulse widths.It is shown that there is an optimum value of concentration for given peak pump intensity at which maximum modulation can be achieved.We can get 93.84% modulation of transmission of a CW probe laser beam at 532 nm at peak pumping intensity of 500 kW/cm2 at 763 nm,with ?t =1 ns and concentration of 80 μM in alcohol,resulting in switch-off and on time of 2 ns and 8 ns,respectively.The results have been also used to design all-optical NOT and the universal NOR and NAND logic gates with multiple pump laser pulses.

Skin as an immune organ and the site of biomimetic,non-invasive vaccination

A vaccine must be sufficiently stable and cause no discernible discomfort or organ damage both during administration and at the injection site. To achieve these aims, the skin offers a viable platform, provided, antigens mustpenetrate the skin barrier and then exit the skin through deformable yet stable vesicular carriers to enter thelymphatic system. Even after such antigen delivery into the body, the intended immune response can only beattained if the following immune response has previously been correctly understood at the cellular and molecularlevels. Here we review, the underlying immunological decision tree that has several branching points to generatean optimal immune response. The tolerance versus immunity decision during and after the delivery of an antigen viaskin depends on i) antigen/pathogen application effects on the cutaneous microenvironment, ii) the variousinvolved cells type (skin resident cells or directly the lymph node resident cells), and regulatory molecules. Theskin microenvironment alters due to skin perturbation. The skin is perturbed directly by the antigens/pathogenswhich activate the release of mediators and cytokines and thus trigger an autocrine and paracrine effect, or,indirectly via the antigen/pathogen influence on the commensal microorganisms on the skin (which helpmaintain skin homeostasis). The skin microenvironment changes by the mode of antigen delivery.The cue from cutaneous immunology in vaccine delivery across intact skin may provide insight for future noninvasive vaccination suggesting a possible shift in the vaccination protocols and the essential paradigmrefinement.