In the present study, friction damper, an energy dissipating passive device is explored to reduce the response of open ground storey building under lateral loading due to earthquake. This damper is installed in the selected bays of open ground storey so that the response is reduced. The masonry infill wall is macro-modeled in the form of compression only diagonal members. Three different types of bracing system were installed along with Pall friction damper – single diagonal tension – compression brace with friction damper, tension only cross brace with friction damper and chevron brace with friction damper were modeled using Wen’s plastic link element in SAP2000. G+4 storey buildings were analyzed using nonlinear time history analysis. The storey displacement and inter-storey drift for all the cases were compared in the study.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of potassium concentrations applied via fertigation on the growth, yield and chemical composition of eggplant ‘Ciça’ in a distroferric red Latosol. The treatments were composed of five concentrations of K₂O (0, 36, 72, 108 and 144 kg ha^-1 supplied via fertigation), using potassium chloride as a source, divided into six applications. The irrigation system was of the drip type and irrigation management was done via a “Class A” evaporometer tank. Harvest started at 62 days after transplanting (DAT) and lasted for five months. The variables evaluated were: plant height, number of leaves, fresh fruit mass, number of fruits per plant, yield per plant, productivity and classification of the fruits according to their length and diameter. At 85 DAT, fruit were collected for characterization as to the percentage of lipids, proteins and fibers. Although the potassium fertigation in cover provided a reduction in the production and productivity, the concentrations of 36 kg ha^-1 and 72 kg ha^-1 of K₂O applied via fertigation, increased the physical-chemical characteristics of the fruits.

This article describes a classification tool to cluster SARAL/AltiKa waveforms. The tool was made using Python scripts. Radar altimetry systems (e.g., SARAL/AltiKa) measures the distance from the satellite centre to a target surface by calculating the satellite-to-surface round-trip time of a radar pulse. An altimeter waveform represents the energy reflected by the earth’s surface to the satellite antenna with respect to time. The tool clusters the altimetric waveforms data into desired groups. For the clustering, we used evolutionary minimize indexing function (EMIF) with k-means cluster mechanism. The idea was to develop a simple interface which takes the altimetry waveforms data from a folder as inputs and provides single value (using EMIF algorithm) for each waveform. These values are further used for clustering. This is a simple light weighted tool and user can easily interact with it.

The use of plant viruses as bioherbicides represents a fascinating and promising frontier in modern agriculture and weed management. This review article delves into the multifaceted world of harnessing plant viruses for herbicidal purposes, shedding light on their potential as eco-friendly, sustainable alternatives to traditional chemical herbicides. We begin by exploring the diverse mechanisms through which plant viruses can target and control weeds, from altering gene expression to disrupting essential physiological processes. The article highlights the advantages of utilizing plant viruses, such as their specificity for weed species, minimal impact on non-target plants, and a reduced environmental footprint. Furthermore, we investigate the remarkable versatility of plant viruses, showcasing their adaptability to various weed species and agricultural environments. The review delves into the latest advancements in genetic modification techniques, which enable the engineering of plant viruses for enhanced herbicidal properties and safety. In addition to their efficacy, we discuss the economic and ecological advantages of using plant viruses as bioherbicides, emphasizing their potential to reduce chemical herbicide usage and decrease the development of herbicide-resistant weeds. We also address the regulatory and safety considerations associated with the application of plant viruses in agriculture. Ultimately, this review article underscores the immense potential of plant viruses as bioherbicides and calls for further research, development, and responsible deployment to harness these microscopic agents in the ongoing quest for sustainable and environmentally friendly weed management strategies.

Objective: to determine the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance hysterosalpingography (HSG-MRI), using laparoscopy as the reference method. Materials and methods: 22 patients were included. All underwent HSG-MRI with a 1.5 Tesla resonator and then laparoscopy with chromotubation. Two radiologists examined the MRIs, determining tubal patency by consensus. Descriptive and diagnostic performance analyses were performed. Results: HSG-MRI had a success rate of 91%. Study duration was 49 ± 15 minutes, volume injected 26 ± 16 cm³ and pain scale 30 ± 19 out of 100. Sensitivity and specificity of HSG-MRI were 100% for global and left Cotte test, and 25% and 93.3% for right Cotte test, respectively. There were 2 minor complications and no major complications. Discussion: our initial results demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity. Although other studies analyzed the ability of HSG-MRI to assess tubal patency with good results, the use of a flawed reference standard left room for reasonable doubt, preventing a recommendation based on solid evidence. However, when comparing our results with those published, we observed a high degree of concordance insofar as the positive effusion is correctly diagnosed with a specificity of 100% or with a percentage close to this figure.

Different color-promoting treatments were tested on table grape cv. “Flame Seedlees” to evaluate changes on flavonoids such as anthocyanins and the residual ethylene produced. Treatments were spray-applied at the onset of veraison. The control was Ethrel at 250 ppm (ETH), Salicylic Acid at 100 ppm (AS), Melatonin at 25 ppm (MEL) and 1:1 mixtures of ETH+AS, ETH+MEL and AS+MEL. The trials were conducted in triplicate after harvest, measuring Total Soluble Solids (% TSS), total acidity (% tartaric acid), pH, residual ethylene (ppm) and anthocyanin content (mg∙cm^-2). It was found that treatments ETH, AS, MEL and ETH+AS reached 16% TSS, standing out with lower values ETH +MEL (14.27%) and AS+MEL (15.17%) (p ≤ 0.05). ETH reached 0.83 ppm of residual ethylene, while a sum effect was appreciated in ETH+AS (0.5 ppm) and ETH+MEL (0.35 ppm), but not beneficial as it did not reflect quality characteristics. Only differences (p ≤ 0.05) in anthocyanin content were recorded between ETH (0.019 mg∙cm^-2) and AS+MEL (0.003 mg∙cm^-2). The subjective color of the grape bunches in the field made it possible to relate it to the objective results of the analyses performed. This research provides commercially important information on the substitution of Ethrel by natural compounds such as AS and MEL, as they show similar effects on the quality of “Flame Seedless” table grapes. In addition, these compounds do not have an ethylene residual greater than 0.2 mg/kg.