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The byproduct of wastewater treatment is called as ‘Biosolid’ whereas the byproduct of infrastructure sector produces construction and demolition (C&D) waste, both leading to major waste disposal problem. The present study evaluates the usage of biosolid as a potential fill material for embankments constructed over soft subgrade. Geotechnical and geochemical characterization of the virgin biosolid (VB) and 40% C&D waste modified biosolid (CNMB) has been conducted to evaluate their potential as fill materials. Consolidation and creep settlement behaviour of a 3m embankment under a traffic load of 20 kPa with VB and CNMB is investigated using Finite Element analysis (Plaxis 2D). Due to the organic nature of VB and CNMB, biodegradation settlement of the embankment is also analytically examined. The embankment with CNMB layer undergoes a settlement of 18.3 mm which is 62.3% lesser than embankment with VB layer over 365 days. The CNMB layer also attains constant rate of biodegradation after 20 years with 48.5 mm settlement which is within permissible limit. It is concluded that 40% C&D waste with biosolid can be used as fill material in embankment over soft subgrade. However, use of virgin biosolid as fill material is not recommended.

This research deals with software requirements ambiguity problems. Among these are incomplete, incorrect, improper, inaccurate and unambiguous requirements. Interestingly, published material related to Software Requirements Specifications (SRS) problems discusses ambiguity as one of the most conversed problems. This paper proposes a Software Requirement Ambiguity Avoidance Framework (SRAAF) to assist and support requirement engineers to write unambiguous requirements, by selecting correct elicitation technique based on the evaluation of various attributes and by applying the W6H technique. We explored existing theories and the outcomes of experimental research to construct the framework. On the basis of existing and inferred knowledge, we tried to justify proposed frameworks components. Our selection process focuses on various situational attributes. We added various situational attributes related to project, stakeholders and requirement engineer for the selection process. Newly devised approach chooses techniques other than traditional techniques or most common techniques and deals with ambiguity to capture the correct requirements information from stakeholders. The framework will be able to address the selection and ambiguity issues in a more effective way and can handle vagueness. New evidence related to attributes and adequacy matrix can be easily added to the framework without any inconvenience.

Expansive soils, such as black cotton soils, are characterized by their pronounced vulnerability to swelling and shrinking caused by fluctuations in moisture levels. Such activity gives rise to worries over the longevity of constructions constructed on such soils, as they frequently undergo substantial expansion and contraction. Road surfaces, whether paved or unpaved, built on these expansive soil subgrades often experience problems such as potholes, cracking, wheel path rutting, heave and differential settlements Furthermore, apart from the difficulties presented by expanding soils, there is an escalating global issue with the proper management of waste materials produced by diverse operations. These waste materials not only exacerbate significant environmental problems but also require extensive acreage for proper disposal. Among the waste materials generated by the combustion husk of rice is rice husk ash (RHA). The incorporation of RHA as an additive in expansive soils might effectively mitigate their swelling and shrinkage characteristics, while simultaneously tackling the environmental and disposal issues linked to the ash. The present work reports, the findings of an empirical inquiry undertaken to examine the influence of RHA on the compaction, shrinkage, and swelling properties of expansive soil. Various amounts of RHA were mixed with soil in the study, and tests including Atterberg limit, free swell index, light compaction, California bearing ratio and unconsolidated undrained triaxial compression tests were conducted. The findings indicate that introducing RHA in suitable ratios not just significantly decreases the shrinkage and swelling characteristics of expansive soil but aa well as improves its stability

Landslides are frequent all over the world, posing serious threats to human life, infrastructure, and economic operations, making them chronic disasters. This study proposes a novel landslide detection methodology that is automated and based on a hybrid deep learning approach. Currently, Deep Learning is constrained by the lack of applicability, lack of data, and low efficiency in landslide detection but with recent advancement in deep learning-based solutions for landslide detection has sparked considerable advantages over traditional techniques. In order to prevent and mitigate disaster, we introduced a hybrid model based on remote sensing technologies such as satellite images. Specifically, the proposed approach consists hybrid U-Net model integrated with a pyramid pooling layer for landslide detection, which uses high-resolution landslide images from the Landslide4Sense dataset. The UNet-Pyramid model has the following modifications: To improve feature acquisition and advancements to strengthen the model’s attention U-Net architecture is integrated with the pyramid pooling layers and OBIA technique. The UNet-Pyramid model was trained and validated using labeled images taken from the Landslide4Sense dataset and the validated set using OBIA to improve its efficacy. The overall Precision, Recall, and F1 Score of the UNet-pyramid model for landslide detection are 91%, 84%, and 87%, respectively.

Because of the smaller confinement of the neighbouring soil in very weak soils, the carrying capacity of stone columns may not substantially increase. Geosynthetics can be used to reinforce columns by employing vertical encasement or horizontal layers. In the present study, large-scale laboratory investigations were carried out to evaluate the efficacy of vertical encasement and horizontal layering geosynthetics on the performance behaviour of soft clay. A series of tests were carried out for a horizontal layering of a geotextile with an equal distance throughout the height of the column (the total height of the column is ‘L’); horizontal layering over only the top half (i.e., 0.5 L from the head of the considered column); and horizontal layering over only the bottom half of the column (0.5 L from the centre to the foot of the column). Tests were also carried out for vertical encasement in the form of vertically encased stone columns (VESCs) that were employed for various lengths of encasement (i.e., L, 0.75 L, 0.5 L, 0.25 L). The tests were conducted for three different diameters of stone columns, i.e., 50 mm, 75 mm, and 100 mm. As per the findings, the utilisation of horizontal and vertical reinforcing layers enhances the carrying capability of stone columns. Moreover, because of their interlocking and frictional actions with the aggregates of stone columns, the layering decreases the lateral bulging of the considered stone columns. A comparison was performed to find the effectiveness of the horizontal and vertical types of reinforcement, and it was observed that VESCs with full-length encasement and a geotextile with a higher tensile strength for a 100 mm diameter of the stone column were the most desirable arrangements among all.

Plasma gelsolin levels significantly decline in several disease conditions, since gelsolin gets scavenged when it depolymerizes and caps filamentous actin released in the circulation following tissue injury. It is well established that our body require/implement inflammatory and analgesic responses to protect against cell damage and injury to the tissue. This study was envisaged to examine analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of exogenous gelsolin (8 mg/mouse) in mice models of pain and acute inflammation. Administration of gelsolin in acetic acid-induced writhing and tail immersion tests not only demonstrated a significant reduction in the number of acetic acid-induced writhing effects, but also exhibited an analgesic activity in tail immersion test in mice as compared to placebo treated mice. Additionally, anti-inflammatory function of gelsolin (8 mg/mouse) compared with anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac sodium (10 mg/kg)] was confirmed in the carrageenan injection induced paw edema where latter was measured by vernier caliper and fluorescent tomography imaging. Interestingly, results showed that plasma gelsolin was capable of reducing severity of inflammation in mice comparable to diclofenac sodium. Analysis of cytokines and histopathological examinations of tissue revealed administration of gelsolin and diclofenac sodium significantly reduced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-6. Additionally, carrageenan groups pretreated with diclofenac sodium or gelsolin showed a marked decrease in edema and infiltration of inflammatory cells in paw tissue. Our study provides evidence that administration of gelsolin can effectively reduce the pain and inflammation in mice model.

In the present study, experiments were conducted using model testing to explore the load-carrying capability of horizontally and vertically reinforced end-bearing stone columns. Single columns with three different diameters, i.e., 50 mm, 75 mm, and 100 mm, were tested under compressive loading in both unreinforced and reinforced circumstances. This study examined three different variations in horizontal reinforcement. In the first case, the geotextile was evenly distributed at regular intervals along the entire height of the column (L). Secondly, horizontal layering was implemented from the column head to the centre of the column. Lastly, in the third case, horizontal layering was applied from the centre of the column to the base of the column. For vertical reinforcement, four different lengths of reinforcement (Lr) were used, i.e., L, 0.75 L, 0.5 L, and 0.25 L. According to the experimental results, using horizontal as well as vertical layers of reinforcement improved the bearing capacity of the stone columns. In addition, the process of layering as well as vertical encasing served to mitigate the lateral bulging of the columns under examination, as it capitalised on the interlocking and frictional interactions among the stones that comprised the columns. Numerical modelling with a finite element (FE) code, Plaxis 3D, was also performed to validate the experimental results. An exhaustive comparison of all the cases was performed, and the experimental results demonstrated a high level of concurrence with the numerical findings.

Purpose The study presents the physico-chemical, heavy metal and spectral characterization of aerobic compost to assess the suitability of its use for different purposes generated from two different municipal solid waste dumpsites located in the cities of Solan and Mandi in Himachal Pradesh. Methods The spectral characteristics of the compost material were determined using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) technique. The heavy metal analysis of compost material was analyzed through atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The study also focused on the determination of the qualitative nature of compost by utilizing an indexing method based on Fertilizer Control Order (FCO) Standards. The utility of the compost was characterized on the values of ‘Fertility Index’ and ‘Clean Index’. Results The Fertility Index (FI) of compost for Solan and Mandi was observed 3.5 and 3.6, respectively, whereas Clean Index (CI) of compost for both regions was observed 4.0 and 5.0 at the 60th day of sampling, respectively, with the former being classified as category D and the second being classified as category A of high fertilizing potential. Conclusions The MSW compost of Solan cannot be used as fertilizer due to its low fertilizing potential. The heavy metal concentration for the study regions has been found within the permissible limits of the fertility control order standards. It is concluded from the study that aerobic composting is a suitable option for processing of waste as well as it can reduce the weight of organic waste in the dumpsite.

In the previous decades there has been substantial study on implementation of municipal solid waste incineration ash in constructional operations. This has led in the development of waste recycling and management solutions. Regardless of the massive investigations and the subsequent modifications to MSWI ashes, the reuse plans for MSWI ashes are constrained. Incineration of municipal solid waste permits the burning of organic materials at a very high temperature, which results in the development of energy in the form of gases and ashes. The ashes so collected from the procedure are classed as bottom ash or fly ash. These ashes are now-a-days been employed in numerous constructional operations as a substitute or alternative for different constructional materials. The basic purpose of the study is to emphasize the review of MSWI ash in constructional activities taking into consideration its qualities and performance in different materials. The article also addresses the existing state of MSWI ash utilization, its technical features and performance.

The 15 January 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, and the preceding eruptions on 19 December 2021 and 13 January 2022, were remarkable, partly because the eruptions generated extensive umbrella clouds, regions where the volcanic clouds spread laterally. Here we use satellite remote sensing to evaluate the umbrella cloud tops’ heights, longevities, water contents, and volumetric flow rates. We identified two umbrella clouds at distinct elevations on 15 January 2022. Specifically, after 05:30 UTC, the strong westward propagation of an upper umbrella cloud at 31 km ± 3 km enabled the visibility of the lower umbrella cloud at 17 km ± 2 km. The satellite-derived volumetric flow rate for 15 January 2022 was ~5.0 × 10 11  m 3  s −1 , nearly two orders of magnitude higher than the volumetric flow rates estimated for the 19 December 2021 and 13 January 2022 eruptions. Finally, we found that the umbrellas on all three dates were ice-rich.