Search Results (5)

The performance analysis of a 10 kW_p rooftop grid connected solar photovoltaic (PV) system located in Sagolband, Imphal, India has been studied for 5 years. The key technical parameters such as array yield ($Y_A$), reference yield ($Y_R$), final yield ($Y_F$), capacity utilization factor (CUF), PV system efficiency (${\eta }_{Sys}$), and performance ratio (PR) were used to investigate its performance. In this study, the experimentally measured results of the system’s performance for the five years (i.e., July 2018 to June 2023) were compared with the predicted results, which were obtained using PVsyst V7.3.0 software. The measured energy generation in 5 years (including 40 days OFF due to inverter failure on 17 June 2019 because of a surge, which was resolved on 27 July 2019) was 58,911.3 kWh as compared to the predicted 77,769 kWh. The measured daily average energy yield was 3.2 kWh/kW_p as compared to the predicted 4.2 kWh/kW_p. It can be seen that there was a large difference between the real and predicted values, which may be due to inverter downtime, local environmental variables (e.g., lower-than-expected solar irradiation and temperature impacts), and the possible degradation of photovoltaic modules over time. The measured daily average PR of the system was 70.71%, and the maximum occurred in the months of October, November, December, and January, which was almost similar to the predicted result. The measured daily average CUF of the system was 13.36%, and the maximum occurred in the months of March, April, and May. The measured daily average system efficiency was 11.31%. Moreover, the actual payback was 4 years and 10 months, indicating strong financial viability despite the system’s estimated lifespan of 25 years. This study highlights the importance of regular maintenance, fault detection, and better predictive modelling for more accurate energy projections, and also offers an understanding of real-world performance fluctuations. Full article

The genome size variation is an important attribute in evolutionary and species characterization. Musa L. is regarded as one of the taxonomically complicated genera within the order Zingiberales, with more than 75 species from wild seeded to seedless cultivars that may be diploid, triploid or tetraploid. The knowledge of total nuclear DNA content in terms of genome size and ploidy level in wild species of Musa is absolutely important in evolutionary and genomic studies. Methods: In this paper, chromosome spreading was performed via protoplast isolation and a fast air-dry dropping method and flow cytometry were used with Raphanus sativus L. (Brassicaceae) as a standard for ploidy and genome size estimation. Results: The results showed that genome size (2C) varied amongst Musa species, based on the ratio of G1 peak positions. The lowest genome size (2C) was found in M. balbisiana var. andamanica (1.051 ± 0.060 pg) and the highest genome size (2C) was recorded for Musa ABB.cv. Meitei-hei (1.812 ± 0.108 pg) for the section Eumusa. Among the species belonging to the section Rhodochlamys, M. rosae had the lowest 2C content of 1.194 ± 0.033 pg whereas the highest nuclear DNA content (2C) was observed in M. velutina (1.488 ± 0.203 pg). Cytogenetic analysis revealed that the chromosome number of 14 wild Musa species was 2n = 22, while 1 species—Ensete glaucum—showed a chromosome number of 2n = 18 (diploid), and for 3 species, the chromosome number was 2n = 33 (triploids). An association study based on the Pearson correlation coefficient showed 2C nuclear DNA content was significant and positively correlated with ploidy level (R = 0.9) and chromosome number (R = 0.84). Conclusions: The present study provides reliable information on the genome size and ploidy level of wild Musa species from the Indian region through flow cytometric analysis, which could be further utilized in taxonomic and crop improvement programs. For the first time, the nuclear DNA content of eight wild diploid and three triploid Indian species were estimated and reported. Genome size could be an effective indicator in identification of species and evolutionary studies in Musa with varying ploidy levels and morphological similarities. Full article

The conventional paper-based system for malaria surveillance is time-consuming, difficult to track and resource-intensive. Few digital platforms are in use but wide-scale deployment and acceptability remain to be seen. To address this issue, we created a malaria surveillance mobile app that offers real-time data to stakeholders and establishes a centralised data repository. The MoSQuIT app was designed to collect data from the field and was integrated with a web-based platform for data integration and analysis. The MoSQuIT app was deployed on mobile phones of accredited social health activists (ASHA) working in international border villages in the northeast (NE) Indian states of Assam, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh for 20 months in a phased manner. This paper shares the challenges and opportunities associated with the use of MoSQuIT for malaria surveillance. MoSQuIT employs the same data entry formats as the NVBDCP’s malaria surveillance programme. Using this app, a total of 8221 fever cases were recorded, which included 1192 (14.5%) cases of P. falciparum malaria, 280 (3.4%) cases of P. vivax malaria and 52 (0.6%) mixed infection cases. Depending on network availability, GPS coordinates of the fever cases were acquired by the app. The present study demonstrated that mobile-phone-based malaria surveillance facilitates the quick transmission of data from the field to decision makers. Geospatial tagging of cases helped with easy visualisation of the case distribution for the identification of malaria-prone areas and potential outbreaks, especially in hilly and remote regions of Northeast India. However, to achieve the full operational potential of the system, operational challenges have to be overcome. Full article

In the 18th century, Manipuri kings Garibniwaz and Bhāgyacandra sought to transform the indigenous religious landscape to absorb Vaiṣṇava beliefs and practices due to increasing contact with other Indian states and hostilities with Burma. Garibniwaz aligned himself with the Rāmānandī Vaiṣṇava tradition because he saw it as an effective way to increase his military prowess. He refashioned kingship to portray himself as a warrior king and a devotee of Rāmā. However, he met with resistance from other royal elites for oppressing the indigenous religious practices of Manipur. In contrast, Bhāgyacandra aligned himself with the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava tradition and established his sovereignty on the basis of being a devotee of Krishna and patron of the indigenous gods. By carefully curating a hybrid religious schema, he was able to refashion Manipur kingship for generations to come. I compare the two strategies of negotiating transculturation and sociopolitical transformation and show that the latter approach proved more successful in the long term because it allowed a more organic unification of religious and political factions. Full article

Milk lipids are known for a variety of biological functions, however; little is known about compositional variation across breeds, especially for Jaffarabadi buffalo, an indigenous Indian breed. Systematic profiling of extracted milk lipids was performed by mass spectrometry across summer and winter in Holstein Friesian cow and Jaffarabadi buffalo. Extensive MS/MS spectral analysis for the identification (ID) of probable lipid species using software followed by manual verification and grading of each assigned lipid species enabled ID based on (a) parent ion, (b) head group, and (c) partial/full acyl characteristic ions for comparative profiling of triacylglycerols between the breeds. Additionally, new triacylglycerol species with short-chain fatty acids were reported by manual interpretation of MS/MS spectra and comparison with curated repositories. Collectively, 1093 triacylglycerol species belonging to 141 unique sum compositions between the replicates of both the animal groups were identified. Relative quantitation at sum composition level followed by statistical analyses revealed changes in relative abundances of triacylglycerol species due to breed, season, and interaction effect of the two. Significant changes in triacylglycerols were observed between breeds (81%) and seasons (59%). When the interaction effect is statistically significant, a higher number of triacylglycerols species in Jaffarabadi has lesser seasonal variation than Holstein Friesian. Full article