Strength of overtaking waves on the freely propagating strong spherical converging shock waves in the dustygaseous non-uniform medium has been investigated. The non-uniformity of the medium arises due to solid body rotationof the mixture and the flow behind the shock. It is assumed that the medium in which shock propagates, is a suspension ofinert dust particles and non-ideal gas. The particles are of small spherical uniform size and uniformly distributed in themedium. It is also assumed that the condition of equilibrium flow is maintained. Neglecting the Coriolis forces, theanalytical expressions for the shock velocity and shock strength for freely propagation as well as under the influence offlow behind the shock front have been derived using CCW method. The non-dimensional expressions for pressure andparticle velocity are also obtained. The variations of all flow variables with propagation distance(r), angular velocity (Ω),and mass concentration of dust particles in the medium (kp) are shown through figures. The results reported here arecompared with those for dusty perfect gas[26]. It is observed that the presence of non-idealness in the gaseous mediumhas significant effects on flow variables of shock propagation.

Abstract The present study investigated the feeding value of maize distillers dried grains with solubles (mDDGS) for broiler chickens. As the first step, the nutrient composition, apparent metabolisable energy (AME) and apparent ileal amino acid digestibility of mDDGS were determined. These values were used to formulate iso-nutrient and isocaloric diets to evaluate the influence of graded levels of mDDGS on broiler performance, digestive tract development and carcass characteristics. Five maize-soybean based diets containing 0 or 5, 10, 15 and 20% of mDDGS, were formulated and cold-pelleted at 65 °C. Each diet was offered ad libitum to six replicates (eight birds per replicate cage) during starter (day 1–21) and finisher (day 22–35) phases. The mDDGS was analysed to contain (% dry matter (DM) basis): CP, 27.8; total non-starch polysaccharides, 28.6 and soluble non-starch polysaccharides, 5.6. The AME was determined to be 10.23 MJ/kg DM. The average ileal digestibility coefficient of indispensable AA was 0.826. The Inclusion of 20% mDDGS resulted in poorer (P < 0.05) feed per gain (quadratic effect, P < 0.05) during the starter period, but no negative effects (P > 0.05) were observed finisher period and the overall production period (day 1–35). Feed intake and feed per gain (linear effect, P < 0.05) decreased with increasing inclusions of mDDGS during finisher period and overall period. A tendency (P = 0.06) for linear improvement in excreta quality was observed with increasing inclusion levels of mDDGS. Relative digestive tract weights and carcass and breast meat yields were not influenced (P > 0.05) by dietary treatments. A linear (P < 0.05) decrease was observed for the relative lengths of jejunum, ileum and the small intestine. The results indicated that, when balanced for metabolisable energy and digestible amino acids, mDDGS can be incorporated into broiler starter and finisher diets up to 15 and 20%, respectively, with no adverse effects on live performance, carcass characteristics or excreta quality.

BACKGROUND:Suboptimal antiretroviral (ART) adherence can lead to virologic failure with consequent HIV-1 resistance. Tenofovir diphosphate (TFV-DP) in dried blood spots (DBS) is a powerful biomarker of cumulative adherence, predictive of future viremia. It has been associated with resistance in Persons With HIV (PWH) in South Africa and the US. We explored the relationship of TFV-DP concentrations with antiretroviral drug resistance at the time of treatment failure in SA. METHODS:Adult PWH from health clinics in Cape Town, South Africa on efavirenz-based first-line ART containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) with an undetectable (< 50 copies/mL) HIV-1 viral load (VL) were prospectively enrolled in an observational cohort for 12 months. Monthly study visits included blood collection for HIV-1 VL and DBS for TFV-DP. The first confirmed viral breakthrough (VB) > 400 copies/mL triggered HIV-1 genotyping at the subsequent visit. An electronic adherence (EA) device monitored ART adherence in real-time, estimated as a percent for the 30-days prior to VB. Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare median [IQR] TFV-DP by genotype outcome. RESULTS:Of 250 individuals, (n = 195, 78% women), 21 experienced VB, with a median of 5 [4;7] months on study, and a median EA of 33.3 [13.3;53.3]%. Demographic characteristics between those with and without VB were similar. Median VL at VB was 4.0 [3.2;4.5] log copies/mL. TFV-DP concentrations trended down towards the VB visit. Median TFV-DP concentrations were significantly higher in those HIV-1 genotype did not amplify due to being virally suppressed at the subsequent visit (n = 10; 380 [227-661] fmol/punch, p = 0.035; EA 45 [24.9; 59.2]%); than in those who were successfully genotyped with evidence of drug resistance (n = 5, 241 [150-247] fmol/punch, EA 20 [6.7;36.7]%) and in individuals who did not have resistance (n = 3, 39.9 [16.6; 93.9] fmol/punch; EA 33.3 [16-38]%). Three genotype collections were not done. Only non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-associated mutations were identified on resistance testing. (K103N, E138K, Y118H). CONCLUSION:TFV-DP in DBS showed a step-wise inverse relationship with VB and drug resistance, with evidence of low cumulative ART adherence in PWH who developed antiretroviral resistance. Monitoring TFV-DP concentrations could be a valuable tool for predicting future VB and future resistance.

Canine Kobuvirus (CKoV) has been recently reported in many countries such as United Kingdom, China, Thailand, United States of America and Italy. In the present study, dogs suffering from gastroenteritis were screened for the presence of Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) in their fecal samples using RT-PCR. The dogs found to be positive for the presence of CDV in the diarrheic fecal samples were subjected to next generation sequencing (NGS) for the whole genome analysis. From one sample the whole genome of Canine Kobuvirus (CKoV) along with partial genome sequences of CDV was obtained. Phylogenetic analysis based on the complete nucleotide genome sequence of CKoV, revealed that the virus had 91-95% nucleotide identity with the Chinese, Japanese and UK strains. Similarly, the phylogenetic analysis based on the partial genome sequence of the CDV isolate showed 97% nucleotide identity with other Indian isolates and Chinese strains. To the best knowledge of the authors, this is the first report of detection and molecular characterization of CKoV in a domestic dog in India. Our result highlights the concerns to veterinarians that diarrhea in dogs may also be due to Canine Kobuvirus infection in addition to the other potential pathogens, and should not be ignored.

This study assessed the influence of green tea powder diet supplementation on performance, nutrient utilisation, caecal microbiota profile and meat quality in broiler chickens. A total of 144, one-day-old broiler (Ross 308) chicks were allocated to 18 cages (eight broilers/cage) which were randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments: a wheat-based basal diet or supplemented with one of two types of green tea; normal (N-GT) or selenium-rich (Se-GT) tea, at an inclusion rate of 1%. Bird performance, nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolisable energy (AMEn), and total tract digestibility of fat and starch were measured on d 7, 21 and 35. Effects on microbiota profile on d 7, 21 and 35 were determined in a cohort study. Green tea supplementation reduced (P<0.05) the weight gain and feed intake but improved (P<0.05) feed efficiency. Supplementation with N-GT increased the AMEn on d 7 and 21, and with Se-GT on d 7 (P<0.05). AMEn increased with age for all treatments. Fat digestibility increased (P<0.05) in birds fed N-GT on d 21 and Se-GT on d 7 and 21. Starch digestibility increased (P<0.05) on d 21 with N-GT supplementation and on d 7 with Se-GT supplementation. Carcass and breast meat yields were unaffected (P<0.05) by the dietary treatments. The abdominal fat pad decreased (P<0.05) in the N-GT diet and numerically in the Se- GT diet. Drip loss was less in meat from birds (P<0.05) fed both green tea treatments. Cooking loss was reduced in the Se-GT treatment (P<0.05). Dietary inclusion of green tea powder positively influenced microbiota profile, with increased (P<0.05) numbers of beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp.) and reduced (P<0.05) numbers of pathogenic bacteria (Clostridium spp. and Bacteroides spp.). Differences were observed between the two green tea types, with Se-GT being more beneficial than N-GT in the positive modulation of intestinal microbiota.

The iron impregnated fungal bio-filter (IIFB) discs of luffa sponge containing Phanerochaete chrysosporium mycelia have been used for the removal of As(III) from water. Two different forms of same biomass viz. free fungal biomass (FFB) and modified free fungal biomass (chemically modified and iron impregnated; CFB and IIFB) have been simultaneously investigated to compare the performance of immobilization, chemo-tailoring and iron impregnation for remediation of As(III). IIFB showed highest uptake capacity and percentage removal of As(III), 1.32 mg/g and 92.4% respectively among FFB, CFB and IIFB. Further, the application of RSM and ANN-GA based mathematical model showed a substantial increase in removal i.e. 99.2% of As(III) was filtered out from water at optimised conditions i.e. biomass dose 0.72 g/L, pH 7.31, temperature 42 °C, and initial As(III) concentration 1.1 mg/L. Isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic studies proved that the process followed monolayer sorption pattern in spontaneous and endothermic way through pseudo-second order kinetic pathway. Continuous mode of As(III) removal in IIFB packed bed bioreactor, revealed increased removal of As(III) from 76.40 to 88.23% with increased column height from 5 to 25 cm whereas the removal decreased from 88.23 to 69.45% while increasing flow rate from 1.66 to 8.30 mL/min. Moreover, the IIFB discs was regenerated by using 10% NaOH as eluting agent and evaluated for As(III) removal for four sorption–desorption cycles, showing slight decrease of their efficiency by 1–2%. SEM–EDX, pHzpc, and FTIR analysis, revealed the involvement of hydroxyl and amino surface groups following a non-electrostatic legend exchange sorption mechanism during removal of As(III).

The chapter is mainly focused on experimental investigation of solar photovoltaic (SPV) cold storage integrated with thermal energy storage, which can be used for the storage of 10 MT of vegetables in the temperature range of 4°C–10°C. The energy requirement observed for 1 day was around 72 kWh, which is huge for such a small cold storage system. This research presents a SPV-driven cold storage with thermal energy storage as a backup system for non-sunshine hours with autonomy of 20 hours in loading condition and 35 hours in no-load condition. The compressor is driven by a SPV panel having capacity of 3 TR, which is designed with maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller and provides easy starting, maximum power tracking, and better power management for the system. This results in the proposed compressor operating from early morning to late evening and also operating during the day with low solar irradiance and hence improved the utilization of SPV power. The experimental investigation and economic analysis, i.e., feasibility, IRR, NPV, and payback for different possible business models of the system, has been carried in this chapter.

Context: Undiagnosed Vitamin D deficiency is a widely prevalent problem in the Indian subcontinent. The prevalence and severity of Vitamin D deficiency are more commonly revealed among Indian females compared to males. Subjects and Methods: The study subjects comprised 198 female students of a nursing college located in Northeast India who were attending the gynecology outpatient department of a tertiary care center. Study participants were invited to respond to online queries related to Vitamin D deficiency and associated sociocultural practices. Among them, 126 students who had volunteered, 25 OH Vitamin D total levels were estimated by enzyme-linked fluorescent assay method along with linked blood parameters. Results: In this cross-sectional study, among the 198 study subjects attending outpatient services, 75.3% reported less than an hour daily exposure to the sun though 93.4% had awareness that sunlight exposure is the best natural resource of Vitamin D. All eight participants who did not have the proper knowledge of Vitamin D source were detected to be deficient. Our study showed that out of studied 126 students, half of them had severe Vitamin D deficiency (<8.1 ng/ml) and 45.2% demonstrated Vitamin D level <20 ng/ml (deficient). About 3.2%, i.e., four females, divulged Vitamin D level of 20–29 ng/ml (insufficient). Conclusions: Our study revealed relevant knowledge, belief, and sociocultural practices related to Vitamin D deficiency among young adult females of Northeast India. Contrary to previous studies, the findings also highlighted the alarmingly high prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in the studied population.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) and Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) are the two most pathogenic avian mycoplasmas. In the present study, examination of 92 pooled tissue samples from broiler chicken of 92 different poultry flocks of Haryana (India) exhibiting respiratory infections resulted in isolation of 13 (14%) Mollicutes. Based on biochemical reactions, growth inhibition test, PCR and/or sequencing, 8 (8.6%) isolates could be characterized as MG, 1 (1.08%) as MS, 3 (3.24%) as M. gallinarum and 1 (1.08%) as Acholeplasma laidlawii. The phylogenetic analysis using Intergenic spacer region (IGSR) of these MG isolates revealed that they clustered with USA strain whereas the vaccine strains were in different clade. Single locus sequence typing (SLST) revealed considerable nucleotides variation between 8 MG isolates and vaccine strains. Conclusively, Sequencing of IGSR region of MG can be used as a valuable epidemiological investigation tool for the differentiation of wild-type MG strains from vaccine strains.

Oxidative stress plays vital role in the pathogenesis of almost every clinical disease condition. So these days treatment regimen of various diseases are being targeted with the adjunct antioxidant therapy. Many studies have proved that oxidative stress is also involved in gastroenteritis. That’s why this study was planned to see the combined effect of antibiotics and antioxidants (vitamin C and N-acetylcysteine) therapy on gastroenteritic dogs which included thirty six affected dogs. Affected dogs were further divided into six therapeutic groups on the basis of different combinations of antibiotics and antioxidants to evaluate comparative effects of different antibiotics and antioxidants. Affected dogs in all the groups showed decreased oxidative stress indices and trace elements than healthy control dogs. Earliest and better recovery was observed in the groups which were administered with both the antioxidants along with antibiotics. Combined therapy proved to be better than alone antibiotic therapy in the recovery of gastroenteritis in dogs in this study.

CPV infection is considered as the most pathogenic and contagious infection of dogs causing haemorrhagic gastroenteritis. Molecular detection using PCR is used widely for detection and confirmation of CPV infection in dogs. Present study was conducted to detect CPV in the faeces of dogs showing clinical signs of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. A total of 52 dogs suffering from gastroenteritis were screened for the study, out of which 31 dogs were found to be affected with CPV infection. The occurrence of CPV infection was more in male (58.06 than female (41.94%) dogs. Labrador and non-descriptive breed dogs were found to have 22.59 percent occurrence each followed by GSD (19.36%) and Rottweiler (12.90%). Dogs with uneven history of vaccination were found to be affected more (64.52%) than dogs with history of proper vaccination. Maximum no. of dogs affected were from age group less than one year (93.55%) out of which most of the dogs were of less than 6 months age (67.74%). Suffering dogs were divided into random groups and administered with antibiotics, antioxidants and supportive therapy.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dry matter restriction on morphometry (live body weight and body condition score) and blood biochemistry (glucose, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and total protein) in unproductive cattle.Nine non-descript, crossbred cows (BCS over 4) were randomly distributed in 3 treatments (T 0 , T 1 and T 2 ).T 0 : the control group was fed with dry matter (DM) @ 2.5% of the body weight.T 1 and T 2 were fed with the restricted DM i.e., @ 2% and 1.5% of the body weight, respectively up to 21 days.After 21 days of feed restriction all the cows were fed normal diets i.e., 2.5% of the body weight for next 21 days.Declining rate in body weight were observed (P<0.05) in T 1 and T 2 during the restriction period as well as in re-alimentation.Body condition score was not significantly (P>0.05)affected in restriction period.A declining trend was observed in blood glucose and urea nitrogen concentrations during feed restriction but an increasing trend was also observed during re-alimentation.By this study we can conclude that upto 60% reduction in feed intake will not exert any harmful effect on morphology and physiology of cattle during feed scarcity.

SummaryUse of whole wheat, along with compounded feeds, for poultry feeding is a common practice in many parts of the world. However, studies investigating the use of other grains are limited. In the present study, the influence of including whole maize, with differing hardness, in broiler diets on the performance, nutrient utilisation and digestive tract development was examined. The experimental design was a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments, evaluating maize hardness (hard, semi-hard or soft) with diets based on ground maize or 115 g/kg whole maize replacing ground maize. The three maize cultivars were ground in a hammer mill to pass through a 4 mm sieve and six diets were developed based on one of the three cultivars. Following mixing, all diets were cold pelleted through a 3 mm die. Each of the six diets was fed to six replicate cages (eight birds per cage) from day 1 to 21 post-hatch. Maize hardness and whole maize inclusion had no effect (P>0.05) on weight gain. Maize hardness influenced (P<0.05) feed intake and feed per gain, while these two parameters were unaffected (P>0.05) by the inclusion of whole maize. The apparent metabolisable energy (AME) was unaffected (P>0.05) by maize hardness and whole maize inclusion. Maize hardness increased the ileal digestibility of nitrogen (P<0.05) and starch (P=0.06). The relative weight of the gizzard was greater (P<0.05) in birds fed hard and semi-hard maize compared to soft maize, and was greater (P<0.05) when whole maize was included. These results indicated that 115 g/kg of ground maize can be replaced by whole maize in broiler starter diets with no adverse effects on growth performance and thus can reduce the cost of feed manufacture.

India is the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world but its share in the world market both in fresh and processed form is less than 1 percent. Cold storage is the best method to store the fruits and vegetables. Many agricultural commodities and food commodities are being kept in commercial cold storages. Problems associated with these cold storages are during power cuts, for cold storage leads to an increase in temperature and can result in the loss in quality and value of stored products and also in many rural and remote areas which are away from towns or cities are not connected to grid electricity. So, a large part of agricultural produce gets wasted because of lack of cold storages in these areas. This research attempts the technical designing of stand-alone (off-grid) solar photovoltaic and solar thermal driven cold storage unit with thermal storage system since the Stand-Alone PV system has been shown to be reliable and cost effective for cooling and refrigeration and has attracted users. Economic analysis such as feasibility, IRR, NPV and Payback for different possible business models is also presented in this paper.