043809   BODEDE O, MAHLANGENI N , MOODLEY R , NLOOTO M , OJEWOLE E (KwaZulu-Natal Univ, Durban, 4000, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) : Bioactive metabolites of Bulbine natalensis (Baker): Isolation, characterization, and antioxidant properties. Int J Green Pharm 2020, 14(1), 106-15.

Medicinal plants continue to play a key role in disease management and modern drug development. Bulbine natalensis is one of several South Africa’s indigenous succulent medicinal species. B. natalensis’ high medicinal profile has made it a commercially-available herb within the South African market and beyond. However, there is a limited scientific report on its bioactive metabolites. This study’s objective was to isolate and identify bioactive compounds from B. natalensis leaves and evaluate the compounds and crude extracts for antioxidant activity. Fractionation and purification of B. natalensis dichloromethane extract were done using chromatographic techniques. Whole extract profiling was carried out on dichloromethane and methanol extracts using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The isolated compounds and extracts were evaluated for antioxidant activity. The dichloromethane extract yielded two pentacyclic triterpenes (glutinol and taraxerol), one tetracyclic triterpene (β-sitosterol), a phytylated porphyrin pigment, pheophytin a and knipholone, and a phenyl anthraquinone. GC-MS analysis and 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (1 HNMR) fingerprinting of the leaf extracts identified additional bioactive metabolites as α- and β-tocopherol, campesterol, p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, and long-chain alcohols. The antioxidant assays revealed the methanol extract to have good ferric reducing antioxidant power while dichloromethane extract displayed stronger Mo(IV) reducing power compared to α-tocopherol and isolated compounds. This study revealed previously unreported compounds from B. natalensis and GC-MS profiling supported by ¹ H NMR fingerprints provide comprehensive detail of the plant’s bioactive metabolites in addition to the isolated compounds. The antioxidant potential of B. natalensis may be partly responsible for its use in the management of some oxidative-stress induced diseases.

6 illus, 1 table, 51 ref

043807   DAS S K, KARMAKA S N, ROY S (Physiology Dep, Krishnath Coll, Murshidabad, West Bengal, Email: soumennnnn@gmail.com) : Protective action of hydroethanolic extract of Moringa oleifera flower on acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Int J Green Pharm 2020, 14(1), 98-105.

The present study was to investigate the possible hepatoprotective action of the hydroethanolic extract of Moringa oleifera (MO) flowers in comparison to hepamerz (positive control) against long-term hepatotoxicity induced by acetaminophen (APAP) in albino Wistar rat (male). In this study, different groups of animals were treated with APAP (300 mg/kg body weight), both APAP (300 mg/kg body weight) and MO flower hydroethanolic extract (400 mg/kg body weight), both APAP (300mg/kg body weight) and hepamerz (150 mg/kg body weight), respectively. Liver function tests were analyzed, and histopathological changes of liver were also observed along with antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation. APAP-induced hepatotoxicity increases the serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and decreases the level of total serum protein, where significant decrease in SGOT, SGPT, and ALP and significant increase in total serum protein were observed in the MO flower hydroethanolic extract-treated animals. Oxidative stress was also observed in APAP treated group and reduction in stress was also noted after hepamerz and MO supplementation. It can be concluded that hydroethanolic extract of MO flower has potency as a hepatoprotective agent like hepamerz against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity on albino rats.

2 illus, 11 tables, 27 ref

043806   KUMAR A S , REDDY P D , SATYANARAYANA S V (Pharmaceutics Dep, Annamacharya Coll of Pharmacy, Rajampet, Kadapa (D), Andhra Pradesh, Email: dwarakanadha.reddy25@gmail.com) : Phytochemical screening and in vitro antioxidant study of Magnolia vine, Muntingia calabura, and Alangium salviifolium fruits. Int J Green Pharm 2020, 14(1), 87-92.

This study was undertaken to investigate the antioxidant activity of methanolic extract of Schisandra (magnolia vine) (MEMV), Muntingia calabura (MEMC), and Alangium salviifolium (MEAS) fruits. Rindless fruits were subjected to treatment with pure methanol in a sufficient quantity at room temperature for a period of one week with intermittent shaking. The resultant extract then underwent double filtration, first through a cotton plug and then through Whatman filters paper No. 1. Evaporation under reduced pressure was carried out on the filtrate to get a dark green viscous mass which was stored till use at 4 °C. Hydroxyl radical (OH) scavenging activity determination of reducing power, lipid peroxidation induced by carbon tetrachloride, and inhibitory test on protein oxidative modification were carried out for evaluation of the antioxidant activity of MEMV, MEMC, and MEAS fruits generated methanolic extract. The inhibitory ratio of MEMV, MEMC, and MEAS on albumin oxidative modification was as high as 78.94 at a concentration of 1000µg/ml that showed an increasing proportionality trend with concentration. The reducing power of MEMV, MEMC, and MEAS increased with increasing concentration of MEMV, MEMC, and MEAS. All the tested concentrations of MEMV, MEMC, and MEAS showed significant (P < 0.001) activity than control, the MEMV, MEMC, and MEAS (at all tested doses 100 µg, 200 µg, and 300 µg) significantly (P < 0.001) showed scavenging activity on OHs, which were generated by the ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid/H₂ O₂ system, in comparison to control. A similar increase in percent scavenging of OH radicals by MEMV, MEMC, and MEAS was observed with an increase in dose.

5 tables, 14 ref

043805   VASANTHA G , VENKATESHAM A , DAYAKAR C H (SVS Group of Institutions, Bheemaram, Warangal, Email: vasanthagrace10@gmail.com) : The antidiabetic effect of leaf and stem extract of Crossandra infundibuliformis in alloxan-induced diabetic rats and diabetic nephropathy in male rats. Int J Green Pharm 2020, 14(1), 79-86.

The prevalence of diabetes is growing in the world’s population. The epidemic of disease is rising in the population of India and other countries. Many herbal plants are in use for the management of diabetes till today. They are being advantageous with the lesser side effects and high therapeutic potential than the standard antidiabetic drugs. The present research is to investigate the antidiabetic activity and antioxidant effect of ethanolic extract of Crossandra infundibuliformis leaves and stems (ECILS) in alloxaninduced diabetic rats. Diabetes is induced in the experimental animals by the administration of alloxan (150 mg/kg i.p) for a week. The total treatment period was about 30 days. Blood glucose levels were tested using standard blood glucometer. This activity also includes the estimation of biochemical parameters and in vivo antioxidant parameters such as lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione, and catalase. Histopathological studies were performed on liver and kidney. The diabetic + ECILS rats experienced a significant reduction in glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and increase in high-density lipoproteins compared to disease control. These results demonstrate that C. infundibuliformis possess antidiabetic activity, potent antioxidant activity, and can be used in future studies for the estimation of distinct phytochemicals with the antidiabetic activity.

4 illus, 3 tables, 27 ref

043803   YOGESH H S , KUPPASAMY S , BURIPAD G , HALLUR R L S (Pharmacology Dep, Al-Ameen Coll of Pharmacy, Bengaluru - 560 027, Karnataka, Email: yogesh2hs@gmail.com) : Evaluation of antiosteoporosis activity of ethanolic extract of Punica granatum Linn. seeds in ovariectomized-induced osteoporosis rats. Int J Green Pharm 2020, 14(1), 66-72.

Osteoporosis is a common disease worldwide and characterized by low bone mass and the progressive destruction of bone microstructure, resulting in an increased bone fragility and risk of fracture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anti-osteoporotic activity of ethanolic extract of Punica granatum seeds (EPGS) in ovariectomized (OVX) rat model of osteoporosis using three different doses of 100, 300, and 500 mg/kg body weight per day. Healthy female albino rats were divided into six groups (n = 6). The first group was sham-operated normal and the remaining groups were OVX. Group 2 was fed with equivolume of saline and served as OVX control. Groups 3–6 were orally treated with estrogen (2 mg/kg) and EPGS (100, 300, and 500 mg/kg), for 90 days, respectively. The biomechanical, biochemical, and histopathological parameters were evaluated. Compared to the OVX control group, treatment groups showed increased femoral length, weight, volume, density (P < 0.001), and fourth lumbar hardness (P < 0.001). In addition, statistically significant changes were observed in biochemical parameters. There was a significant (P < 0.001) increase in ash, ash weight, and calcium level which was observed in the femoral bone of OVX rats. Histopathological evaluation of the femur section of EPGS treated groups showed significant restorative progress with increased ossification and mineralization. This study demonstrated that the EPGS had a significant therapeutic activity over osteoporosis associated with estrogen deficiency.

1 illus, 5 tables, 20 ref

043802   KUNDU A , MANDAL V , MAITI P P , RASHID M H A , MANDAL S C (Pharmaceutical Technology Dep, Jadavpur Univ, Kolkata - 700 032, West Bengal, Email: scmandal1963@gmail.com) : In-vitro-Scientific evaluation of anti-inflammatory potential of leaf extracts from Vitex negundo: as a promising future drug candidate. Int J Green Pharm 2020, 14(1), 57-65.

Vitex negundo (Linn.) is commonly used in folk medicines and widely distributed in India, especially in moist places. However, all parts of V. negundo are used to treat different pathophysiology, but leaves are strongly effective for medicinal uses. The aim of this study is to compare the anti-inflammatory potential of the methanolic extract and essential oil of V. negundo leaves. A comparative study of the bioactive compounds that were obtained from the methanolic extract and essential oil of V. negundo leaves was accomplished. First, the methanolic extract and essential oil were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activities employing the RAW 264.7 cells. Subsequently, the identification and quantification of the β-sitosterol of methanolic extract and essential oil of leaves were evaluated using highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The quantitative evaluations of polyphenolics were executed using HPLC. The dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activities of the methanolic extract and essential oil were validated. Moreover, it was observed that the 50 μg/ml dose was found to be significant (P < 0.001) against the pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-6. In case of anti-inflammatory cytokine such as IL-10, the 50 μg/ml dose was found to produce significant effects where the statistical significance was P < 0.001 and P < 0.01 for the methanolic extract and essential oil, respectively. Adequate amounts of β-sitosterol and polyphenols were found out in the methanolic extract and essential oil of leaves of V. negundo. The research findings suggest the significant anti-inflammatory properties of the methanolic extract and essential oil, but the methanolic extract showed a stronger effect. Furthermore, the essential oil of V. negundo could be used for the development of an ideal pharmaceutical formulation for effective delivery to people. Here, results justify its traditional use, which develops a future substantial value of this plant into the scientific discipline.

5 illus, 3 tables, 26 ref

043800   SRIRAM S , BRINDHA P, RAJALAKSHMI P , SAHAYAM C S , RAVICHANDRAN N (SASTRA Univ, Thanjavur - 613 401, Tamil Nadu, Email: sridharan.ram@gmail.com) : Pharmacognostic characterization of stem and leaf of Stylosanthes fruticosa – A fodder plant. Int J Green Pharm 2020, 14(1), 44-8.

Botanical characterization, histochemical localization, pharmacognostic, Stylosanthes fruticosa Botanical characterization and histochemical localization of the stem and leaves of S. fruticosa were characterized by standard methods as prescribed in the Ayurveda Pharmacopoeia of India. The transverse section (TS) of stem revealed the presence of epidermis, subepidermis, chlorenchyma, cortex, vascular bundles, and pith region and the TS of leaf revealed the presence of dorsiventral nature of leaf. Histochemical localization showed the presence of starch grains, calcium oxalate crystals, and lignin in stem and presence of alkaloids both in the stem and leaf. This study is a detailed account of the distinct pharmacognostic features of the stem and leaf of S. fruticosa.

5 illus, 16 ref

043799   HASHIMI A , SIDDIQUI A, AHMED Y , SIRAJ M B, KHATOON R ( Moalajat Dep, School of Unani Medical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard - 110 062, New Delhi, Email: mantashasiraj@gmail.com) : Quality control and phytochemical validation of Saussurea lappa (Costus/Qust). Int J Green Pharm 2020, 14(1), 38-43.

Saussurea lappa, traditionally known as Qust (Costus), is a perennial effective root, globally distributed across Himalayan region and has been extensively used for treating a variety of ailments for its antiulcer, anticonvulsant, anticancer, hepatoprotective, antiarthritic, and antiviral activities. Organoleptic, physicochemical, phytochemical analysis, and chromatography of S. lappa are done as per the WHO guidelines for standardization of the herbal drug. This research resulted the physiochemical parameters such as moisture content, ash value as 7.46 ± 0.63, 6.33 ± 0.44 (total ash value), 2.33 ± 0.33 (acid insoluble), and 4 ± 0.28 (water soluble), respectively. Water extract contains the highest value (17.68 %) of successive extraction. The extract shows four spots of different color in thin-layer chromatography. The results of preliminary phytochemistry profile of S. lappa (Qust) are actually useful in validating and determining the purity of the drug for the identification and documentation, which may be useful to pharmaceutical industries for the quality control of the commercial samples and also these characters will aid future investigators in their pharmacological analysis of this drug to develop them as a medicine.

4 illus, 12 tables, 10 ref

043729   PEREIRA K L G, NOGUEIRA P C D L, ARRIGONI-BLANK M D F, NIZIO D A D C , SILVA D C , PINTO J A O , TAÍS SANTOS SAMPAIO T S , BLANK A F (Agronomic Engineering Dep, Federal Univ of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil, Email: arie.blank@gmail.com) : Chemical diversity of essential oils of Lantana camara L. native populations. J Essent Oil Res 2020, 32(1), 32–47.

The aim of this work was to analyse the chemical diversity of Lantana camara L. essential oils of native populations from Northeast Brazil. A total of 105 plants were collected in twenty-one municipalities from the state of Sergipe. The essential oil content ranged from 0.1 % to 0.5 %. Twenty-nine compounds and seven chemical clusters were identified and characterised by different numbers of plants and major compounds. E-caryophyllene (4.1–53.4 %), germacrene D (2.8–48.3 %), bicyclogermacrene (0.0–18.9 %), α-humulene (0.7–39.0 %) and α-curcumene (24.9–34.3 %) were found in higher amounts and formed the chemical clusters. Results revealed chemical variability among L. camara native populations from Northeast Brazil. This knowledge was fundamental for the implantation of a collection of L. camara in the Active Germplasm Bank of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the Federal University of Sergipe and will allow studies on the potential biological activities of the essential oil from conserved plants.

4 illus, 3 tables, 30 ref

043714   SUKUMAR R S, RAO M M , KRISHNA A G (Mechanical Engineering Dep, JNTUK, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh) : Performance and emission strategies of biodiesel with various engine operating conditions. Int J Ecol Environ Sci 2020, 2(4), 736-42.

The World is confronting with twin crisis for energy demand they are rapid depletion of fossil fuels and increased emissions with the use of fossil fuels. Researchers all over the globe are finding an alternative for this problem. One best alterative have been identified is the use of biodiesels with the existing engine operating conditions. In this study Pongamia biodiesel is considered due to its availability in abundance at the southern parts of India. The properties of Pongamia biodiesel are in line with the diesel to use in the existing engine. The impact of engine operating conditions wise Compression ratio, Injection Pressure and Injection Timing are varied for the optimized blend of B20. The results are compared with standard engine configuration with base line fuel. The compression ratio 16, Injection Pressure 210 bar and Injection timing 21 ⁰ bTDC have produced better results when compared with standard results.

14 illus, 2 tables, 13 ref

043570   UNIYAL S, TIWARI A , RAO S S , JAISANKAR G , AMMINEDU E (Geo-engineering Dep, Andhra Univ, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh) : Tree canopies extraction for tree outside forest areas using spectral, spatial, and vegetation indices attributes after applying the rule-based classification approach: A case study for Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. Int J Ecol Environ Sci 2020, 2(3), 349-56.

This paper summarizes advances in rule based/object based extraction of tree crown in different stratum of TOFs area in Jodhpur Town using World view 2 data. The generation of image objects is offered through a convolution filter followed by an automatic image segmentation approach focused on spectral feature objects and range of Vegetation Indices (VIs). PCA analysis has also been performed to find variation among variables in the dataset and to represent the distribution of samples. The overall accuracy detection rate and the Kappa coefficient were 98.25 % and 91.86, respectively. Accuracy assessment carried out for the quality and quantity of crowns extracted. Qualitative analysis detected maximum accurate detection for planted areas 0.971 followed by scattered 0.886 and linear 0.73 TOFs.Quantitave accuracy assessments for tree delineation indicated highest Accuracy Index (AI) % index for Plantation (97.73 %) while Crown detection error of 14% noted for single crowns and 49 % for clustered crowns. Ultimately, the reliability of this process is seen by contrasting these graded crowns with those obtained using traditional manual methods.

7 illus, 7 tables, 22 ref

043567   MANIKYAM N, GURU P K , NAIK RK (Farm Machinery and Power Engineering Dep, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh) : Design and development of ICAR-NRRI urea applicator for rice transplanter. Int J Ecol Environ Sci 2020, 2(3), 331-5.

Mechanization in rice transplanting is utmost important to overcome labour shortage. Urea is the most important and highly used fertilizer in rice production. Urea applicator was designed for self-propelled transplanter to place the urea in briquette form to minimize the losses and to avoid one manual operation of fertilizer application. Engineering properties of urea briquettes were measured to get the optimum values for designing the metering unit. Metering unit was designed with cup diameter and depth as 20 mm and 5.5 mm on the basis of maximum length (16.59±1.284) and thickness (9.3±0.249) of urea briquette. Self-propelled rice transplanter with urea applicator at speed of operation of 1.66 kmph the field capacity and field efficiency of were 0.191 ha h-1 and 67.82 % respectively and fuel consumption was 1.81 l h-1 . The percentage of missing, floating and buried hills were 10 %, 3.75 % and 2.5 % using self-propelled rice transplanter working with urea briquette applicator.

3 illus, 1 table, 12 ref

043528   BAHADUR R, JAISWAL RK , NEMA AK , MISHRA CD , KUMAR A (Farm Engineering Dep, Banaras Hindu Univ, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh) : Estimation of soil erosion in nagwan watershed, hazaribagh using universal soil loss equation. Int J Ecol Environ Sci 2020, 2(3), 111-7.

The assessment of soil erosion for any particular region is of prime importance for adaptation of suitable measures which help to render its impact. The present study is pertaining to assess the average annual soil erosion loss from Nagwan watershed, Hazaribagh district, Jharkhand. Rainfall, topographic characteristics, soil and vegetation mainly influence the rate of soil erosion from an area. Therefore, in order to produce a realistic estimate of rates of soil erosion a method need to be adopted which will takes these factors into account while estimating soil erosion losses. The Universal soil loss equation (USLE) is one of such equation. It is a product of six causative factors namely Rainfall erosivity factor (R), soil erodibilty factor (K), slope length factor (L), slope steepness factor (S), Cover and management factor (C), Support practice factor (P). The different factors such as R, K, L, S, C and P factor were calculated individually for the watershed. The average annual soil erosion loss is estimated as 12.39 tones ha^-1year^-1 with standard deviation of 49.95. The soil loss map was also generated by integrating all the erosion affecting factor in a raster calculator of ArcGIS platform.

8 illus, 6 tables, 30 ref

043498   SAREMI P (Civil Engineering Dep, Sapienza Univ, Rome, Italy) : Environmental pollution and ways to reduce contamination with use of environmental engineering techniques in metropolises of developing countries. Int J Ecol Environ Sci 2020, 2(2), 10-21.

Environmental pollution comes from a variety of sources. With the advancement of human civilization and the development of technology and population growth, now the world is facing a problem called pollution in air and land, which threatens the lives of the world's inhabitants. One of the current crises is environmental pollution, which mostly is considered to be the result of the technology, industrial and agricultural development expansion. If there is no control over the Progressive and exponential growth of this phenomenon, we will face an environmental catastrophe and disaster. In a simple definition, environmental pollution is any change in the Features of environmental components, i.e. water, soil, air, etc., so that it is impossible to use them optimally and endangers the lives of living organisms directly or indirectly. Access to healthy and adequate food, drinking water and clean air is the most obvious right of all humans, and the production and provision of these needs for citizens is an inherent duty of all governments. On the other hand, preserving the environment along with agricultural and industrial production activities is very important. The issue of environmental pollution and the creation of a sustainable environment is the main concern of all humans on earth. Fortunately, with the use of biotechnology and the available capabilities in nature, the Environmental damage rate can be minimized. One of the environmental needs around us is to maintain and control it from all kinds of pollution, destruction and misuse of nature. Environmental pollution occurs in various ways which requires the use of new engineering methods to protect and control environmental pollution. Today, environmental engineering and environmental control is one of the key and vital issues in human life. In the present article, the impact of pollution on environmental factors such as climate, sound and noise, traffic, etc. on the environment, as well as ways to reduce pollution with the help of environmental engineering techniques have been studied.

14 ref

046644   SELVARANI A, SURESH G R (Electronics and Communication Engineering Dep, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Jeppiaar Nagar, Chennai) : Preclinical diagnosis of diabetes with tongue infrared thermography and PSO algorithm. Med Legal Update 2020, 20(1), 10.37506/v20/i1/2020/mlu/194322.

The tongue use as an initial biomarker for disease diagnosis in Greek, western and Chinese culture. The tongue provides a non-invasive method to diagnose diseases in health care. The tongue shows gamut of symptoms due to disease and disorder. The traditional tongue diagnosis requires quantitative experience. In western medicine the tongue symptom use as one of the criteria for disease diagnosis. The tongue reflexology shows functioning of internal organs in body. Recent studies attribute chronic pancreatitis to saliva secretion. In this paper, we propose to diagnose diabetes with tongue thermal image. The Particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to cluster thermally active pixels with similar intensity. The clustered tongue thermal region show drastic change for normal and diabetic person. The study involved 25 normal person and 25 type 1 diabetic person. The proposed approach diagnoses diabetes with 86 % accuracy.

5 illus, 5 ref

045235   KUMAR A, SHARMA R K, MEHTA B S (Civil Engineering Dep, National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur- 177 001, Himachal Pradesh) : Slope stability analysis and mitigation measures for selected landslide sites along NH-205 in Himachal Pradesh, India. J Earth Syst Sci 2020, 129(1), 10.1007/s12040-020-01396-y.

Landslide is the most frequent geo-environmental natural hazard which significantly affect human life and environment. It is the natural hazard when occurs especially in hilly regions mainly along highway corridor, results in obstruction to traffic flow. The road network of a developing country plays a vital role in its overall development. Therefore, it is important to ascertain landslide hazard assessment along roads. In this regard, the study was carried out in middle Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh, India. The paper describes the investigations carried out on two major landslides, namely Panjpiri and Nalayan occurred at Kiratpur Sahib to Nauni road stretch along NH-205 in Himachal Pradesh, India. The slope failure occurred at Panjpiri was identified as plane failure, whereas at Nalayan it was circular failure. The factor of safety was determined by using Bishop’s method of slices and circular failure charts. For factor of safety calculation of Panjpiri plane failure, six conditions were considered based on physical attributes. Subsequently, the evaluation of slope was designed by reinforcement with rock bolts. While for Nalayan circular failure, soil anchors were designed. Thus, evaluation of slope stability of these two failed slopes were carried out for suggesting appropriate mitigation measures. The results of the study conclude that, with an accurate and well-planned mitigation measures, the severe landslide susceptible sites can be stabilized. Adopting effective engineering mitigation strategies may help the decision makers to choose the appropriate strategies to minimize the landslide hazard.

39 ref

045230   SHARMA B, BHATTACHARJYA R K (Civil Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati- 781 039, Assam) : Behaviour of contaminant transport in unconfined coastal aquifer: An experimental evaluation. J Earth Syst Sci 2020, 129(1), 10.1007/s12040-020-01405-0.

Contamination of groundwater in coastal aquifers is a significant environmental concern for coastal populations across the world. As it not only leads to the depletion of available freshwater resources, but also threatens the ecology and economy of the coastal zones. A quantitative understanding of contaminant transport processes within coastal aquifer systems is, therefore, essential for efficient planning and management of coastal environments. The overarching aim of this research is to investigate the behaviour of contaminant transport patterns for various contaminant transport scenarios in a coastal unconfined aquifer. For this purpose, a series of laboratory-scale experiments have been carried out in the setup of a rectangular flow tank using dye to trace the movement of contaminant plume patterns with homogeneous soil formations. The experimental data indicate that the contaminant travels upward towards the seaward boundary when it approaches the saltwater wedge and then exits around the coastline. Upon installation of the pump, the saltwater intrusion wedge was moving rapidly towards the freshwater aquifer, and the contaminant was also moving along with the saltwater wedge towards the pump location. Experimental results also clearly show that the contaminant plume formed an elongated shape as it approached the saltwater–freshwater interface due to dispersion effects. The findings from this experimental study helped us to have a better understanding of the contaminant transport processes occurring in a coastal unconfined aquifer.

62 ref

045226   BANDARU U S, GODAVARTHI V R S R (Civil Engineering Dep, Velagapudi Ramakrishna Siddhartha Engineering Coll, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh) : Seismic liquefaction potential assessment of Andhra Pradesh Capital region. J Earth Syst Sci 2020, 129(1), 10.1007/s12040-020-01403-2.

Seismic liquefaction hazard is an actuated ground failure which is responsible for significant damage to life and property. Andhra Pradesh state authorities are aiming to develop major infrastructural projects in the capital region. Liquefaction Potential Index (LPI) can predict the severity of liquefaction at a place. The present work aims at assessing liquefaction severity using LPI for different locations in the new capital region of Indian state, Andhra Pradesh. Further, current study presents a preliminary liquefaction severity map of the Andhra Pradesh state Capital region. This study reveals that the majority of the locations in this region may not be proned to liquefaction in the event of light earthquakes.

24 ref

045224   KUMAR S, KUMAR D, CHAUDHARY S K, SINGH N, MALIK K K (Mining Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology, Dhanbad- 826 004) : Land subsidence mapping and monitoring using modified persistent scatterer interferometric synthetic aperture radar in Jharia Coalfield, India. J Earth Syst Sci 2020, 129(1), 10.1007/s12040-020-01413-0.

Subsidence has been adversely affecting Jharia Coalfield (JCF) for the last few decades. This study attempts to show the feasibility of the modified Persistent Scatterer Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (PS-InSAR) technique with C-band SAR data to investigate the slow surface deformation caused by coal mine fire and underground mining activities in JCF. Also, a multi-temporal analysis of SAR images of ENVISAT ASAR has been carried out for monitoring and mapping of temporal land subsidence of the area under study. The modified PSI technique has proven its ability to detect land subsidence over the vegetated and rural areas. It also resolves low spatial density of permanent scatterers by considering partially correlated scatterers as permanent scatterers (PSs) and extracting information from these PSs. The study has been concentrated towards detecting continuous slow rate subsidence of five major sites of JCF. The maximum rate of slow deformation among all sites is recorded as 29 mm/year with a cumulative subsidence value of 90 mm. Field validation of subsidence results obtained through PS-InSAR is correlated with the previously published report and the master plan of JCF, showing subsidence locations. Conclusively, the adopted methodology is practically feasible for detection, monitoring and mapping of slow deformation using C-band SAR data in coal mine area.

54 ref

045223   KHAN M M, KUMAR G K (Civil Engineering Dep, National Institute of Technology, Warangal- 506 004) : Site-specific probabilistic seismic hazard assessment for proposed smart city, Site-specific probabilistic seismic hazard assessment for proposed smart city, Warangal. J Earth Syst Sci 2020, 129(1), 10.1007/s12040-020-01407-y.

In the present work, a probabilistic seismic hazard analysis has been performed for the newly formed Warangal Urban District, Telangana, India. The standard Cornell–McGuire method has been adopted considering different seismic zones. The area of influence chosen is having a radius of 500 km with NIT Warangal as the centre. An earthquake catalogue for the period 1800–2016 AD has been compiled and homogenized using global empirical relationships. Alternative models have been considered for seismic zoning scenario, completeness analysis of earthquake catalogue, maximum magnitude and ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs) in the logic tree approach by assigning normalized weighs to each model, thereby reducing the epistemic uncertainty. Seismic hazard has been presented as the peak ground acceleration (PGA) and pseudo-spectral acceleration (PSA) maps at 5% damping for spectral periods T = 0.05, 0.1, 0.5 and 1 s at 2% and 10% probability of exceedance in 50 yrs period. The results obtained were compared with IS: 1893-1 (2016) (Criteria for earthquake resistance design of structures, Part-I. Bureau of Indian Standard, New Delhi, 2016) and NDMA (2011) (Development of probabilistic seismic hazard map of India, Technical Report of the Working Committee of Experts (WCE), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Govt. of India, New Delhi, 2011) and they were found to be in excellent agreement. The profile of shear wave velocity (V_S) was obtained by using the multichannel analysis of surface wave (MASW) method. The site was characterized as per NEHRP manual based on V_S. The obtained shear wave velocity values are used in performing the 1-D ground response. A higher PGA has been observed at surface level when compared with the PGA values obtained at rock level suggesting seismic wave amplification due to subsoil condition.

87 ref

045222   NADERLOO L (Mechanical Biosystems Engineering Dep, Razi Univ, Kermanshah- 67571, Iran) : Prediction of solar radiation on the horizon using neural network methods, ANFIS and RSM (case study: Sarpol-e-Zahab Township, Iran). J Earth Syst Sci 2020, 129(1), 10.1007/s12040-020-01414-z.

Solar energy is one of the clean and healthy energies. Due to the high cost of required equipment to convert solar energy into the desired form, the economic facets must be addressed and the equipment should be installed in areas with higher accessible solar energy. However, due to the complex and time-consuming process of calculating solar radiation, it seems necessary to develop more simple models with higher estimation capability. Therefore, the present study investigated the prediction of solar radiation on the horizon using neural network methods, ANFIS and RSM, in Sarpol-e-Zahab Township, Kermanshah, Iran. In this respect, the meteorological data of this township were collected. Then, the key parameters were selected by performing sensitivity analysis, and models were designed and optimized using ANFIS, ANN, and RSM methods. Moreover, respective correlation coefficients and mean square errors of each method were obtained (ANFIS (0.993 and 0.0005), ANN (0.996 and 0.00029), and RSM (0.996 and 0.00027), respectively). Also, the neural network and response surface methodology were superior to the ANFIS Model in terms of performance, simplicity, and speed. In short, the performance of the response surface methodology was slightly better than that of the neural network.

28 ref

045209   SARAVANAN S, PITCHAIKANI S, VENKATESAN G (Civil Engineering Dep, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli) : Assessment and evaluation of groundwater vulnerability index maps of Upper Palar River Basin, Tamil nadu, India. J Earth Syst Sci 2020, 129(1), 10.1007/s12040-020-01425-w.

The present study focuses on the assessment of groundwater vulnerability in the Upper Palar river basin, Tamil Nadu, India using the DRASTIC method, which consists of seven parameters obtained from various sources and created as map layers. To determine the groundwater vulnerable zones, the net recharge parameter considered in the DRASTIC model is estimated by four different methods, viz., SCS-CN, Piscopo, Chaturvedi, and groundwater fluctuation recharge methods and the results were compared. The vulnerability maps were generated by four recharge estimation methods, such as water table fluctuation method, Piscopo, SCS-CN and empirical formulae of Chaturvedi methods. This vulnerability class were validated with the observed groundwater quality (nitrate concentration) measured from 30 wells in the study area. The results were classified into four categories such as low, moderate, high, and very high. From the results obtained using DRASTIC with the Chaturvedi method, very high vulnerability is observed in the southern regions and low vulnerability in the north and southwest regions. Using the Piscopo method, the very high vulnerability is distributed along the lower half of the river and southeast side, and the low vulnerability covers the north part of the river basin. Similarly using the SCS-CN method, the very high vulnerability is seen along the river basin and low vulnerability along the central-north and south regions. Using the groundwater fluctuation method, very high vulnerability falls under the small part of the southeast side, but low vulnerability covers the south-west and east sides of the river basin. The different methods adopted to estimate the recharge rate in the study revealed the dependency level of the vulnerability on that parameter. Also, the study area characteristic is best observed by the results of these four methods. All the four methods gave very good results and better knowledge about each factor and a better understanding of the groundwater susceptible zones to pollution in the study area. Among the four methods, Piscopo and WTF methods were found to be best applicable for the selected study area.

27 ref

045199   OGAREKPE N M, TENEBE I T, EMENIKE P C, UDODI O A, ANTIGHA R E (Civil Engineering Dep, Cross River Univ of Technology, Calabar, Nigeria) : Assessment of regional best-fit probability density function of annual maximum rainfall using CFSR precipitation data. J Earth Syst Sci 2020, 129(1), 10.1007/s12040-020-01434-9.

The upper Cross River basin (UCRB) fits a true description of a data scarce watershed in respect of climatic data. This paper seeks to determine the best-fit probability density function (PDF) of annual maximum rainfall for the UCRB using the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) precipitation data. Also, to evaluate the performance of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP3) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) Global Circulation Models (GCMs) in simulating the monthly precipitation in the UCRB considering 1979–2014 data. For the determination of the best-fit PDF, the models under review included the generalized extreme value (GEV), normal, gamma, Weibull and log-normal (LN) distributions. Twenty-four weather station datasets were obtained and subjected to frequency distribution analysis on per station basis, and subsequently fitted to the respective PDFs. Also, simulated monthly precipitation data obtained from 16 AR4 GCMs, for weather station p6191, were subjected to frequency distribution analysis. The results showed the percentages of best-fit to worst-fit PDFs, considering the total number of stations, as follows: 54.17 %, 45.83 %, 37.50 %, 45.83 %, and 50 %/50 %. These percentages corresponded to GEV, Weibull, gamma, gamma, and LN/normal, respectively. The comparison of the predicted and observed values using the Chi-square goodness-of-fit test revealed that the GEV PDF is the best-fit model for the UCRB. The correlation coefficient values further corroborated the correctness of the test. The PDF of the observed data (weather station p6191) and the simulations of the 16 GCMs computed using monthly rainfall datasets were compared using a mean square error (MSE) dependent skill score. The result from this study suggested that the CGCM3.1 (T47) and MRI-CGCM2.3.2 provide the best representations of precipitation, considering about 36 years trend for station p6191. The results have no influence on how well the models perform in other geographical locations.

41 ref

046626   BOBBY N D, PRABHAKARAN N, BEGUM J T, MUNIREDDY M (ECE Dep, Dr Sakunthala Engineering Coll, Chennai- 600 062) : Non-invasive method of measuring blood sugar in the early stage and diagnose the result using discrete wavelet transform. Med Legal Update 2020, 20(1), 10.37506/v20/i1/2020/mlu/194304.

Monitoring of blood glucose levels is clinically crucial in managing diseases affecting insulin secretion and resistance, most notably diabetes mellitus and cystic fibrosis. Blood glucose s used to monitor the amount of glucose in the blood, especially patients with symptoms with the abnormally of high or low blood glucose levels. Most recently, they enable diabetic patients to administer appropriate insulin doses to human health. The availability of in-house glucometers, as opposed to clinical-use equipment, has dramatically improved the quality of life of diabetic’s patient. However, such monitors require a blood draw through finger pricks for each test, which causes pain and inconvenience. Each test also needs a new test-strip, contributing to the recurring cost of such a device. Typically the blood glucose monitoring is the non-invasive technique which may cause distress and discomfort, particularly in the pediatric patient. We introduce an architecture that uses Near Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to determine blood glucose levels based on transmittance spectroscopy on the nose lobe. The Measurement of glucose in the respiratory fluid by a collection of exhaled breath in condensate and therefore, a potentially clinically useful method of estimating blood glucose levels identified and therefore it is the excellent agreement between these diabetics blood glucose level.

4 illus, 13 ref

045192   AÇLAN M, TURGUT I K (Geological Engineering Dep, Van Yüzüncü Y?l Univ, Van- 65080, Turkey) : Zircon U–Pb ages and geochemistry of granitoid from the southwest part of the Taşlıçay batholith: Implications for Neotethyan closure in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey. J Earth Syst Sci 2020, 129(1), 10.1007/s12040-020-01445-6.

The composite Taşlıçay batholith that is located in the Eastern Anatolian Accretionary Complex (EAAC) includes I- and S-type granitoid rocks. This batholith occurred as a result of the collision between Arabian and Eurasian plates along the Bitlis–Zagros suture zone during the Early Miocene (Burdigalian). This paper presents new whole rock geochemical and zircon U–Pb geochronological data from the southwest part of Taşlıçay batholith. The study area contains S-type granitoids such as tonalite, granodiorite, monzogranite, and granite. These rocks are characterized by enrichments in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) (Cs, Ba, Rb, K) and light rare earth elements (LREEs), and depletions in high field strength elements (HFSEs) (Nb, P, Ti). They contain a number of mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs) that are quartz microdiorite in composition. Aluminium Saturation Index (ASI) and CIPW normative corundum values of these granitoids vary between 0.98 and 1.22 and 0.06–1.55 %, respectively. The zircon U–Pb ages of the studied granitoids range between 19.8 and 20.0 Ma. Considering all geological, geochemical and geochronological data, we suggest that S-type granitoids from the southwest part of Taşlıçay batholith were formed with assimilation fractional crystallization (AFC) from a hybrid magma source in a syn-collisional (Arabian–Eurasian collision) tectonic environment.

77 ref

045189   KANISHKA G, ELDHO T I (Civil Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai- 400 076, Mumbai) : Streamflow estimation in ungauged basins using watershed classification and regionalization techniques. J Earth Syst Sci 2020, 129(1), 10.1007/s12040-020-01451-8.

Classifying watersheds prior to regionalization improves streamflow predictions in ungauged basin. Present study aims to assess the ability of combining watershed classification using dimensionality reduction techniques with regionalization methods for reliable streamflow prediction using soil and water assessment tool (SWAT). Isomap and principal component analysis (PCA) are applied to watershed attributes of 30 watersheds from Godavari river basin in India to classify them. The best classification technique is determined by calculating similarity index (SI). The results showed that Isomap is better at classifying hydrologically similar watersheds than PCA with an average SI value of 0.448. The regionalization methods such as global mean, inverse distance weighted (IDW) and physical similarity were applied to transfer the parameters from watersheds of best watershed classification group to the pseudo-ungauged watersheds, using SWAT model. The present study suggests that classifying watersheds with Isomap and regionalization using physical similarity improves the efficiency of streamflow estimation in ungauged basins.

46 ref

045188   SHIRALI E, SHAHBAZI A N, FATHIAN H, ZOHRABI N, HASSAN E M (Water Resources Engineering Dep, Islamic Azad Univ, Ahvaz, Iran) : Evaluation of WRF and artificial intelligence models in short-term rainfall, temperature and flood forecast (case study). J Earth Syst Sci 2020, 129(1), 10.1007/s12040-020-01450-9.

Flood prediction is very critical for efficient use of flood control reservoirs, and earthen and concrete levees systems. As a result, flood prediction has a great importance in catchment areas. In this study, rainfall and air temperature were predicted in Karun-4 basin in southwest of Iran by using three different models including WRF numerical model, ANN, and SVM model in order to evaluate accuracy in flood forecasting. The rainfall and air temperature prediction and flood forecasting results using different schemas of WRF model indicated that MYJLG schema has more accuracy than other schemas. Partial mutual information (PMI) algorithm was used in order to determine the effective input variables in ANN and SVM models. The results of using PMI algorithm showed that rainfall at rain gauge stations in the next 6 hrs indicated that the effective variables included relative humidity, current rain status (present rainfall), rainfall in 6 hrs ago, and rainfall and temperature of 12 hrs ago. Also, the PMI algorithm results for predicting air temperature in the next 6 hrs showed that the effective input variables including the temperature of 18 hrs ago, current temperature, temperature of 12 hrs ago, and temperature of 6 hrs ago. The comparison between the peak discharge and runoff height values of the predicted flood hydrograph in different models showed that SVM model had more efficiency and accuracy than the other two models in predicting rainfall, air temperature, and flood hydrograph.

36 ref

045176   MAZA M, SRIVASTAVA A, BISHT D S, SINGH N, RAGHUWANSHI, BANDYOPADHYAY A, CHATTERJEE C, BHADRA A (Agricultural and Food Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur) : Simulating hydrological response of a monsoon dominated reservoir catchment and command with heterogeneous cropping pattern using VIC model. J Earth Syst Sci 2020, 129(1), 10.1007/s12040-020-01468-z.

Present study assesses the effect of finer land-use classification in simulating the rainfall-runoff response of Kangsabati reservoir catchment (3,627 km²) and command (7,112 km²) by considering cropland heterogeneity in variable infiltration capacity (VIC) model. High resolution LISS-IV satellite imageries were used for the land-use classification. Global sensitivity analysis was performed using VIC-ASSIST to identify the most and least influential parameters based on the sensitivity index of elementary effects. A fully distributed calibration approach was employed using 16 (detailed) and 8 (lumped) vegetation classes. Low flows during lean periods were over-estimated and peak flows were under-estimated by both the model setups at Kangsabati reservoir site. Detailed land-use classification resulted in the reduction in streamflow over-estimation (Percent Bias (PBIAS) from −20.99 to −14.41 during calibration and from –22.83 to –7.17 during validation) at daily time step. It further demonstrates the improvement in simulating the peak flows; hence, highlighting the importance of detailed land-use classification for vegetation parameterization in VIC model setup. River discharge regulation at Kangsabati reservoir resulted in poor model performance at Mohanpur, downstream site of Kangsabati reservoir. Therefore, calibration for Mohanpur was performed after updating the VIC simulated streamflow with routed reservoir spillage using Hydrologic Engineering Center-River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) model. Streamflow updation employing HEC-RAS at Mohanpur improved the modelling efficiency (Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) from 0.50 to 0.65 during calibration and from 0.55 to 0.67 during validation) and reduced bias (PBIAS from 6.25 to –2.23 during calibration and from 15.06 to 7.40 during validation) considerably for daily flows. Model performance with reasonable accuracy was achieved at both the calibration locations which demonstrates the potential applicability of VIC model to predict streamflow in the monsoon dominated Kangsabati reservoir catchment and command.

72 ref

041463   LI H, SHI X (Zhengzhou Univ, Zhengzhou-450001, China, Email: lihua@zzu.edu.cn) : Calculating and evaluating of the achievements of pharmaceutical separation engineering course for pharmaceutical engineering major based on engineering education certification. Indian J Pharm Edu Res 2020, 54(1), 17-21.

This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of the achievement degree for engineering education certification, example as pharmaceutical separation engineering course. The calculating method of achievement degree about graduation requirement in engineering education certification in colleges and universities was introduced in this paper. A total 53 students were selected from the exam of pharmaceutical separation engineering course and the total score of the exam is 100. Among them, objective total score: 70, subjective total score: 30. The calculation of course achievement degree is realized by Excel tool. In order to make the evaluation process of achievement degree more reasonable, not only the graduation requirements and course achievement degree were calculated with Excel and statistical analysis and graphical analysis on the calculation results of course achievement degree were made, but also the achievement of course objectives and existing problems were analyzed and evaluated. For the students who need to pay attention to, it is necessary to analyze whether there are any problems that deviate from the focus and other problems in course learning, so as to help them overcome the problems in the follow-up study. This method is really student-centered and provides necessary information for teachers to revise and improve the teaching of courses at any time.

3 illus, 2 tables, 6 ref

041374   KUMAR N, SINGH A, DEBNATH K, RANJAN R (Mechanical Engineering Dep, National Institute of Technology Meghalaya, Shillong - 793 003, Meghalaya, Email: debnath.iitr@gmail.com) : Mechanical characterization of animal fibre-based composites. Indian J Fibre Text Res 2020, 45(3), 293-7.

Horsehair-based composites have been prepared by reinforcing polylactic acid (PLA) using hot compression molding. The weight fraction of horsehair fibre in composites has been varied from 0 % to 30 wt. % to investigate the effect of fibre loading on the mechanical properties and moisture absorption performance of the developed composites. The mechanical properties, such as strength and modulus (tensile and flexural), impact energy, and moisture absorption behaviour of the fabricated composites, are experimentally evaluated. The experimental results recommend that the composites reinforced with 20 wt. % horsehair exhibit superior mechanical properties as compared to other developed composites. The tensile strength and modulus, flexural strength and modulus, Charpy and Izod impact energy of the composites reinforced with 20 wt. % horsehair are improved by 9.52, 28.74, 7, 5.63, 398.11 and 379.31 % as compared to, one-on-one, neat PLA. The findings also reveal that the percentage of moisture absorption of the developed composites increases with an increase in the fibre content in the developed composites.

5 illus, 26 ref

041336   SUNGKONO, AJIRIYANTO M K, ISMARWANTI S (Center for Nuclear Fuel Technology – National Nuclear Energy Agency, Tangerang Selatan 15314, Indonesia, Email: makar@batan.go.id) : Microstructural characterization and mechanical properties of mini specimen of research reactor fuel cladding. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 490-5.

Mini specimens of 5052 alloy have been used to study the mechanical behaviour for cladding materials of research reactor. The problem that arises in the manufacture of the mini specimens is the deformation effect after shear cutting process. The objective of this research is to obtain characteristics of mini specimens of 5052 alloy, i.e. microstructure, hardness and tensile strength. The results have showen that microstructureof fresh 5052 alloy is not homogeneous, but that of as-rolled 5052 alloy is non-homogeneous for elongated flat along the roll direction. In the 250°C heat treatment, the grain structure of as-rolled 5052 alloys is increasingly homogeneous with slight grain size changes as the heating time increases. The hardness of 5052 alloy as-rolled after heat treatment ranges from 39.67 - 40.55 VHN. The hardness of as-rolled 5052 alloy is higher than that of fresh 5052 alloy without and post heat treatment. Tensile strength of as-rolled 5052 alloy after heat treatment is relatively the same, i.e. 159.50 – 160.27 MPa with a strain of 31.67 – 34.58 %. Tensile strength of 5052 alloy after mechanical treatment has higher tensile strength than fresh and as-rolled 5052 alloys. The mechanical treatment of as-rolled 5052 alloy could eliminates the shear cutting effect on the surface of mini specimens.

2 illus, 2 tables, 15 ref

041335   SINGH S, SINGH R, GILL S S (Production Engineering Dep, Guru Nanak Dev Engineering Coll, Ludhiana - 141 006, Email: rupindersingh78@yahoo.com) : Multifactor optimization for development of hybrid aluminium matrix composites. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 481-9.

The present study aims to multi factor optimization for preparation of aluminum matrix composites (AMC) by reinforcement of SiC/ Al₂O₃/ Al₂O₃+ SiC particles having dual particle size (DPS) and triplicate particle size (TPS) based upon signal to noise (S/N) ratio analysis. In this work the amalgamation of fused deposition modelling (FDM) and vacuum moulding (V-process) assisted stir casting (SC) has been employed for the development of AMC. The process parameters under investigation are: particle size (DPS/ TPS); reinforcement type (Al₂O₃/ SiC/ Al₂O₃+ SiC); vacuum pressure (VP) (300-400 mm of Hg); moulding sand grit size (American foundry society (AFS) No. 50-70); vibration time (VT) (4-6 sec) and reinforcement proportion/composition (5/7.5/10 by wt. %). The S/N ratio based upon the wear performance (pin-on disc tester), micro hardness (HV) and dimensional accuracy/deviation (Δt) has been evaluated by using Minitab-17 software which further acts as input for multifactor optimization. The best parametric setting proposed for multi objective/factor optimization is: DPS of Al₂O₃+ SiC reinforcement at 350 mm of Hg VP with 50 AFS No. sand grain size, 4sec VT and 10 % composition/proportion. The results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) highlight that particle size (with 18.49 % contribution) and reinforcement type (with 42.13 % contribution) have significant influence on multi factor optimization for the development of AMC. Confirmatory experiments have been performed which shows that the proposed amalgamation of FDM and V-process assisted SC can be successfully applied for enhancing the performance of AMC. Finally the X-chart and R-chart have been plotted at the proposed settings, which highlights that amalgamation process is controlled and useful for mass/ batch production.

11 illus, 9 tables, 44 ref

041334   PRAKASH K S, GOPAL P M, RAHUL R N (Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore - 641 021, Email: gopal33mech@gmail.com) : Effect of material and machining features in electric discharge machining of 6061Al/rock dust composites. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 471-80.

The current research investigates the effect of electric discharge machining (EDM) and material parameters on material removal rate (MRR), tool wear rate (TWR) and surface roughness (Ra) while machining the novel aluminium rock dust composite. Experiments have been performed in Vidyunt EM 150 EDM machine by considering parameters namely discharge current, pulse ON time, pulse OFF time, reinforcement size and level. The composites have been prepared through stir casting method by reinforcing various sizes (10, 20 & 30 µm) of rock dust particles with aluminium 6061 and at different levels (5, 10 & 15 %). Since the number of input parameter is more, Taguchi’s design of experiments has been used to reduce the number of trials and grey relational analysis (GRA) technique has been used for optimization. Analysis of variance has been performed to identify the significance of the parameters and it has been found that all the considered parameters have significant effect on response variables. But in the case of multi performance characteristics analysis, only pulse ON time and pulse OFF time have the significance over GRG. Pulse ON time has the highest influence (55.36 %) on the GRG followed by pulse OFF time with 17.6 % and rock dust weight % with 7.8 %. From the confirmation experiments, it could be well said that the developed regression equations predicts the response parameters with minimal error and the grey relational grade has been improved significantly.

6 illus, 10 tables, 24 ref

041333   PANWAR K, SHARMA R, SHARMA V, SAXENA N, CHAUDHARY S (Electronics & Communication Engineering Dep, Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur - 302 017, Email: ritusharma.mnit@gmail.com) : Design and analysis of decagonal photonic crystal fiber with elliptical air hole core for liquid sensing. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 465-70.

In this paper, a decagonal geometry has been designed for liquid sensing. The liquid analytes that are sensed are ethanol, benzene and water as they are the most used analytes in the chemical and biological industries. Firstly, a decagonal structure has been designed and n_eff and sensitivity of this structure has been calculated. Then, the core structure has been modified and decagonal, octagonal and hexagonal geometries have been constructed inside the core with circular holes. Lastly, these circular holes have been replaced by elliptical holes. All the designed layouts have been analyzed and compared. The sensitivity obtained is of the order 40-50 % and confinement loss of order 10^-9 dB/m which shows that these structures can be used for sensing ethanol, water and benzene and are reliable. For benzene, water and ethanol, the decagonal structure with core comprised of decagonal geometry, has been made of elliptical holes (x as major axis), gives the best results. For this geometry, the n_eff values are 1.379, 1.317 and 1.313 for benzene, ethanol and water, respectively. The sensitivity values obtained are 51.94 %, 46.95 %, and 44.45 % and confinement loss value is 8.19 x 10^-10, 1.03 x 10^-10 and 1.069 x 10^-7 dB/m, respectively.

8 illus, 2 tables, 16 ref

041332   MAGIBALAN S, SENTHILKUMAR P, SENTHILKUMAR C, PRABU M (Mechanical Engineering Dep, K.S.R. Coll of Engineering, Tiruchengode - 637 215, Email: magibalan42@gmail.com) : Optimization of wear parameters for aluminium 4% fly-ash composites. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 458-64.

Dry sliding wear behaviour of aluminium matrix composites (AMCs) prepared by stir casting with 4 % as fly ash reinforcement has been studied in the work. Dry sliding wear tests have been conducted using a pin-on-disc wear-testing machine to study the effect of changeable process parameters such as load, time, and sliding velocity, which have been used as design variables on the output parameters wear rate (WR) and coefficient of friction (COF). Sensitivity analysis has been carried out to find out the most significant parameter that can be controlled to minimize the WR. Further, the wear parameters have been optimized using the technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) approach to reduce the WR. Therefore, this study offers useful insights to composite manufacturers, especially for automotive industries.

6 illus, 11 tables, 35 ref

041330   KAKOTY P, BHUYAN M, DAS K (Electronics & Communication Engineering Dep, Tezpur Univ, Tezpur - 784 028, Assam, Email: priyankak@tezu.ernet.in) : Drift analysis of a Pd loaded SnO₂ based linalool sensor. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 445-51.

An approach has been made in this work to analyze sensitivity drift in a Pd decorated SnO₂ sensor developed for detection of linalool, a significant aroma compound in tea.  Prior to the drift analysis, an attempt has been made to choose the optimum loading percentage of Pd in SnO₂ for linalool sensing.  An inexpensive and simplistic hydrothermal method has been used to develop five different Pd decorated SnO₂ sensors (0.5 wt %, 2 wt %, 5 wt %, 6 wt % and 8 wt %) and compare their sensitivities when exposed to linalool vapour. The analysis has shown that 6 wt % exhibits better sensitivity (62.7 %) towards Linalool at a relatively lower temperature (100 °C) as compared to all the other synthesized sensors. Henceforth, extensive experiments has been performed on the 6 wt % Pd decorated SnO₂ sensor for a period of one month to analyze its stability. Relative standard deviation and principal component analysis based drift analysis has been performed to understand its changing attributes under repeated measurements.

8 illus, 1 table, 8 ref

041329   KEYKHA A H (Civil Engineering Dep, Islamic Azad Univ, Zahedan, Postal Code 9816743545, Iran, Email: ah.keykha@yahoo.com) : The effect of CFRP strengthening on the behavior of deficient steel beams under concentrated and distributed loading. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 438-44.

The method of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) strengthening is a technique that is rapidly developed and used for strengthening of steel structures in recent years. Most previous research in the area of CFRP strengthening of steel structures has been conducted on the behavior of flawless steel structures. Based on the author's knowledge, the behavior of CFRP-strengthened deficient square hollow section (SHS) steel beams under concentrated and distributed loads has not been studied. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the behavior and performance of CFRP-strengthened deficient SHS steel beams under concentrated and distributed loads. Finite element method (FEM), using ANSYS, has been employed for modeling of steel beams. Ten steel beams, two non-strengthened steel beams and eight CFRP-strengthened steel beams have been analyzed. The results indicate the dimensions and number of composite layers is being effective on the ultimate capacity of the SHS steel beams. Also, the results have shown that in deficient steel beams CFRP can significantly be recovered the strength lost due to deficiency.

6 illus, 4 tables, 25 ref

041328   AKPLE M S (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Ho Technical Univ, Volta Region, Ghana, Email: makple@htu.edu.gh) : A Unique pipe-like C₃N₄ with enhanced photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutant. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 431-7.

Morphology tuning is one of the innovative techniques to overcome challenges of a pristine graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) as a photocatalyst. In this study, a unique pipe-like C₃N₄ have been fabricated using a facile, environmentally friendly and scalable approach by treating dicyandiamide (DCDA) with ethylene glycol and nitric acid. The pipe-like C₃N₄ samples have been possessed unique structural morphology with enhanced visible light-harvesting ability, efficient charge separation and large surface area with more reactive sites. These enhanced properties of the pipe-like C₃N₄ have been exhibited superior complete photocatalytic degradation of methylene Blue (MB) within 30 min under visible light (λ > 420 nm) compared to the bulk C3N4. In addition, the pipe-like C₃N₄ have good photostability and efficiency (96 %) and potential applications in other fields such as photoelectrochemistry, electrocatalysis, and optoelectronic devices.

13 illus, 1 table, 15 ref

041327   SUBBAIAN V, JACOB K B, DURAIRAJ R (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Anjalai Ammal Mahalingam Engineering Coll, Tiruvarur - 614 403, Tamilnadu, Email: venkatesanroja@gmail.com) : Machinability analysis and characterization of aluminium hybrid metal matrix composite using WEDM. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 424-30.

The aluminium composites are being used for various number of applications like automobiles, aerospace, marine, construction, etc. Manufacturing industries keenly focus on improving their product quality by means of strength with reduction in cost. The hybrid metal matrix composites paved way for achieving those objectives through reinforcement of existing traditional materials. This work is also a novel approach of examining the suitability of aluminium alloy for aerospace and automobile application, by reinforcing with various proportions of Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Graphite (Gr). 5, 10 & 15 % of SiC in combination with graphite of 1 & 2 % by weight basis. Further the casted composite was explored for its machinability in Wire cut electrical discharge machining (WEDM) process. Voltage and current are the two control parameters chosen for the study with responses material removal rate and Kerf. The MRR is proportional to the production time and Kerf is proportional to dimensional accuracy. A hybrid Taguchi-GRA optimization technique was utilized for identifying optimal parameters for achieving the objective functions. Improved machining performance was shown by the composite containing 15 % SiC and 1 % Gr over the operating range of 65V and 3A in WEDM process. Finally, the optimized values were justified by using SEM imaging. The agglomeration occurs at 15 % SiC addition to base aluminium metal.

9 illus, 3 tables, 30 ref

041326   TADGE P, SASIKUMAR C (Materials Science & Metallurgical Engineering Dep, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal - 462 003, Email: prashanttadge85@gmail.com) : Effect of surface mechanical attrition on microstructure and mechanical properties of hypoeuctectoid steel. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 418-23.

Effect of ultra-fine structure obtained by surface mechanical attrition treatment(SMAT) on microstructure, yield strength (YS), ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and microhardness of hypoeuctectoid steel have been studied in this paper. Surface alteration has been obtained by vibratory SMAT equipment with particular parameters for similar class of material. The SMAT has been carried out for different time periods such as 10, 20, 30 min. The pearlite and ferrite geometry present has been found intermixed after SMAT process. The microstructure shows a composite structure consisting of fiber/angular cementite particulates dispersed in a ferrite matrix. Thus, these structure obtained at 30 min of SMAT has significantly affected the mechanical properties. The SMAT affected layer has found to be 300µm which shows an increased Young’s modulus from 140 GPa to 246 GPa. The yield stress (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) has been increased about 6 % and 22 % , respectively. The surface microhardness of the material has been changed from 226±5 HV_0.3 to 405±7 HV_0.3 by SMAT, which is attributed to the grain refinement and dispersion of fine carbide particles within the matrix.

9 illus, 22 ref

041325   KHAN S A, AZAM M S, CHATTOPADHYAY S, KUMAR H (National Institute of Technology, Delhi - 110 040, Email: harishkumar@nitdelhi.ac.in) : Characteristic investigation of cutting-force measuring dynamometers. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 410-7.

Despite having significant role to measure the forces in tillage, medical and various diagnostic studies, force dynamometers are extensively employed in cutting-force monitoring and measurement. In this paper, an investigation of various cutting-force measuring dynamometers based on characteristics and design has been carried out. Characteristic based investigation helps in deciding about various important parameters in the development of cutting-force measuring dynamometers. Literature available has been studied to cleanly select the characteristic of dynamometer that govern their fundamental design. Various characteristics of dynamometer materials have been discussed. Shape of deforming elements used by researchers in the development of dynamometer has been discussed. Sensing elements that are often used in the development of cutting force measuring dynamometers have been studied with relative merits. Process of calibration for dynamometer with its importance has also been considered. Various metrological features obtained by researchers have been discussed and conformity of calibration procedure to standards like ISO 376 along with IS: 4169-1988 have been considered. The present work will give a newer insight to the researchers in the field benefitting them to understand the characteristic parameters, to make decision in their selection correctly and to have the knowledge of procedural design for the same.

1 illus, 2 tables, 70 ref

041324   LI R, JIANG B, CHEN Z, PAN F, ZHANG X (Inner Mongolia Univ of Science and Technology, Baotou 014010,China, Email: liruihong1019@163.com) : Microstructure, texture, and mechanical properties of two-pass extruded Mg-5Li-1Al sheet. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 404-9.

To overcome the difficult deformation of common Mg alloys, the Mg-5Li-1Al (wt %) alloy sheet with good strength-ductility balance has been successfully fabricated by two-pass extrusion at 280 °C. The microstructural evolution, texture, mechanical properties and stretch formability of the extruded sheets have been investigated. The results show that a refined microstructure can be obtained by two-pass extrusion due to dynamic recrystallization (DRX). The extruded sheet exhibits excellent formability with elongation to failure (FE) of 34 % and Erichsen value of 4.82. The superior mechanical properties have been owing to both ultrafine DRX grains and weaken basal texture resulted from lithium addition.

5 illus, 1 table, 36 ref

041322   REKHA R, BASKAR N, PADMANABAN M R A, PALANISAMY A (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Saranathan Coll of Engineering, Tiruchirappalli – 620 012, Email: rekhame76@gmail.com) : Optimization of cylindrical grinding process parameters using meta-heuristic algorithms. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 389-95.

Owing to the complexity of grinding process, it has been very difficult to predict the optimal machining conditions which have been resulted in smooth surface finish, accurate geometric measurements and higher production rate. In this work, empirical models for surface roughness, roundness error and metal removal rate have been developed based on regression analysis. These models have been associated the grinding process parameters (work speed, feed rate and depth of cut) with machining performances (metal removal rate, roundness error and surface roughness). Using these models, the optimization has been carried out based on simulated annealing (SA) and genetic algorithm (GA) which have been the two popular meta-heuristic optimization techniques. Finally, the results of the proposed techniques l have compared and experimentally validated.

4 illus, 6 tables, 21 ref

041321   HUO Y, HE T, XUE Y, SHEN M, YANG W, HU Y (Shanghai Univ of Engineering Science, Shanghai 201620, China, Email: huo4023@hotmail.com) : Ductile fracture and microstructure of a bearing steel in hot tension. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 382-8.

Ductile fracture, such as micro-cavities and micro-voids, inevitably exist and evolve under tensile stress state in metal forming. Ductile fracture sways the mechanical performance of 52100 bearing steel. It is necessary to investigate the influences of strain rate and deformation temperature on both ductile fracture and microstructure evolution. Uniaxial hot tension tests were performed, in which specimens were stretched to failure in the temperatures range from 950 °C to 1160 °C and in the strain rates range from 0.01 /s to 1.0 /s. Specimens metallographies have been explored after hot tension. Experimental results show that the peak stress decreases when deformation temperature increases and strain rate decreases. The critical strain of stress–strain relationships increases when strain rate increases. Fracture morphology is severe at higher deformation temperatures and lower strain rates. Hot tension deformation capacity is worst at 1160 °C and a strain rate of 0.01 /s, has been caused by a larger and coarser grain structure.

6 illus, 1 table, 28 ref

041320   SATHISH S (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Aalim Muhammed Salegh Coll of Engineering, Chennai - 600 055, Email: mechhh_er@rediffmail.com) : Effect of laser remelting on the microstructure and mechanical properties of meta inert gas welded low carbon mild steel. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 373-81.

In this study, laser remelting has been performed on the Metal Inert Gas welded (MIG) low carbon mild steel at varying laser power inputs (400 W & 600 W). To investigate the influence of laser remelting on the joint properties, optical microscope observation, scanning electron microscope observation, microhardness measurement and mechanical tests have been conducted. The experimental results revealed that the surface appearance of the laser remelted MIG welded joints have been found to be smooth and the microstructure of its fusion zone possesses fine equiaxed dendrites as compared with that of the MIG welded joints. In addition, the fracture surface of the laser melting carried at low power (400 W) on the MIG welded joint has exhibited a ductile fracture whereas, the MIG welded joint has undergone brittle fracture. The laser remelting carried out at 400 W on the MIG welded joint has resulted in 12 % increase in both the ultimate tensile strength and percentage of elongation as compared to that of the MIG welded joint and this has been ascribed to the presence of equiaxed grains in the microstructure.

10 illus, 4 tables, 29 ref

041319   GHAI V, SHARMA K, SANGER J, SINGH H, AGNIHOTRI P K (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, Rupnagar - 140 001, Punjab, Email: prabhat@iitrpr.ac.in) : Ultrafast microwave-assisted synthesis of various zinc oxide nanostructures. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 365-72.

The conventional hydrothermal process for the synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures has been a slow process and provides less control in terms of shape, size and nucleation time. Whereas, synthesis through microwave heating takes only a few minutes to produce high quality, ultra-pure zinc oxide nanostructures. In this study, we have presented a protocol to fabricate various ZnO nanostructures (vertically-aligned nanorods, vertically-aligned nanowalls, nano flowers and nanopillars) using a domestic microwave oven. Based upon the process study, variation in diameter and length of vertically aligned ZnO nanorods with growth time has been reported. Uniformly distributed ZnO  nanowalls  along with ZnO nanoflowers have been fabricated in less than 5 minutes. In addition to this, ZnO nanopillars have been fabricated for the first-time using evaporation and degradation phenomena in themicrowave oven. Furthermore,the ZnO nanorods have been found to exhibit a super hydrophobic behaviour, whereas the ZnO nanowalls, nanoflowers and nanopillars have shown a hydrophobic behaviour. The developed ZnO nanostructures may have been found their applications in the areas of optics, electronics, biomedical, solar cell, sensors and transistors etc.

7 illus, 1 table, 49 ref

041318   ZMARZLY P (Mechanical Engineering and Metrology Dep, Kielce Univ of Technology, 25-314 Kielce, Poland, Email: pzmarzly@tu.kielce.pl) : Influence of bearing raceway surface topography on the level of generated vibration as an example of operational heredity. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 356-64.

In this paper, an influence of surface topography of ball rolling bearing raceways of the vibration values has been examined. Experiments have been preferment using series of bearing types 6304. Surface topography of bearing raceways has been measured using a stylus profilometer Talysurf PGI 1230. The 2D and 3D roughness and waviness parameters have been analyzed. The vibration measurements of ball rolling bearings have been carried out using a measuring device “Anderonmeter”. The concept of technological heredity and operational (exploitation) heredity in the aspect of production and operation of rolling bearings has been presented. Based on experimental study, an operation heredity analysis of ball bearings has been carried out. It has shown that the condition of surface texture of rolling bearing raceways directly affects the values of vibration generated by bearing units.

8 illus, 2 tables, 21 ref

041317   TEVATIA A, SRIVASTAVA S K (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Netaji Subhas Univ of Technology, Dwarka, New Delhi – 110 078, Email: abhishek_tevatia@yahoo.co.in) : Influence of micro-structural parameters on fatigue life of discontinuous reinforced metal matrix composites. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 348-355.

The micro-structural parameters such as reinforcement shape, size, distribution, volume fraction, property mismatch, aging condition, bonding strength, and whisker orientation can influence the fatigue life of discontinuous reinforced metal matrix composites (DRMMCs). The strengthening effect plays a vital role in predicting the fatigue behaviour of DRMMCs. The modified shear lag (MSL) and enhance dislocation density (EDD) are two main factors that describes the strength of DRMMCs. In the present work, fatigue crack growth life model based MSL and EDD strengthening mechanism has been developed by integrating fatigue damage deformation at the crack-tip under the total strain-controlled conditions. The closed form expression predicts the dependency of particle size, reinforcement volume fraction and reinforcement constraint of the matrix on the fatigue crack growth life. The model fitting with experimental data affirms the appropriateness of proposed fatigue crack growth life prediction model for DRMMCs.

7 illus, 1 table, 44 ref

041316   DINGA Z, LIA J, FENG R (Dalian Jiaotong Univ, Dalian, Liaoning 116028, China, Email: dingzm@djtu.edu.cn) : Tensile fracture behavior of high carbon high manganese steel with single-phase austenite structure. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 344-7.

The microstructure, fracture morphology and tensile fracture process of high manganese steel with single-phase austenite after water toughening have been investigated by optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission election microscope (TEM). The results have shown a large number of deformation twins forming within the austenite matrix after tensile fracture, which have been parallel with and cross to each other. The fracture surface has in the shape of dimple and parallel cascade steps inside the larger size. There has been existed many Shockley partial dislocations, stacking faults and dislocation loops at twin-twin intersections. We have discovered like-microvoid accumulation fracture caused by non-second-phase particles in high manganese steel with single-phase austenite, and the reasons for its formation have been discussed in this paper.

8 illus,1 table, 15 ref

041315   MAURYA N K, RASTOGI V, SINGH P (Mechanical Engineering Dep, G.L Bajaj Institute of Technology & Management, Greater Noida - 201310, Email: nagendramnnit@gmail.com) : Fabrication of prototype connecting rod of PLA plastic material using FDM prototype technology. Indian J Eng Mater Sci 2020, 27(2), 333-43.

Rapid prototyping (RP) have been attracting attention in the manufacturing community because of their capability to reduce the lead time of product development. Present work is an effort to understand the influence of process variables like infill pattern, layer thickness, build orientation and infill density on dimensional accuracy (DA), flatness and cylindricity. Taguchi method orthogonal array L9 was used for the conduction of experiments. MakerBot Replicator-2 was used for the fabrication of scaled prototype connecting rod of polylactic acid (PLA) material. DA, flatness and cylindricity of the component were measured by using coordinate measuring machine (CMM). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to find out the significance of process parameters. A regression model was developed to predict the DA, flatness and cylindricity. The results reveal that the optimum process parameters for the DA, flatness and cylindricity were different. Utility Theory was used to find out the best process parameter condition. The best process parameters for the DA, flatness and cylindricity was found to be layer thickness 100 µm, linear infill pattern, inclined at 45º orientation and 20% infill density. A confirmation test was conducted for checking the goodness of the model, which reveals that results were within the confidence limit.

8 illus, 12 tables, 29 ref