Search

Compact size of the heat exchange module is an important design consideration in majority of the thermal management systems. Using winglet type vortex generators, a sizeable improvement in the compactness of a widely used finned-tube array is attempted through this study. Since the degree of thermal augmentation changes with the generators’ position, around the tubes, this 3D comprehensive computational investigation aims to develop phenomenological correlations for the positional optimization, which are applicable over a wide range of operating conditions. Besides, this article is dedicated to understanding different aspects of the augmentation mechanism, including the tube-wake management and the performance improvement caused by the best design(s). Based on a parametric investigation, designs that are best suited for obtaining a sizeable performance augmentation of the system are identified. Furthermore, a critical assessment of the best designs is carried out to evaluate their impact on the heat transfer from wake-affected surfaces, both fins and tubes. It is encouraging to observe that the wake-affected surfaces also experience sizeable thermal augmentation, which increases further with the Reynolds number. While the total fin surface experiences a highest Colburn j-factor augmentation of 53.6%, the wake-affected fin undergoes 205.1% rise. An evident manifestation of the augmented Colburn j-factor is the reformed temperature distribution, which bears lower values all over the fins.

The present study reports air-based novel energy saving compact bank type earth air heat exchanger system (EAHE) (having only 25m2area) fabricated from Polyvinylchloride pipes of nominal diameter 0.203 mm (8 inches) for inlet and outlet headers and main pipes and 0.150 mm (6 inches nominal diameter) for branched pipes, which is installed in Shaheed Bhagat Singh State University, Ferozepur in Punjab state, India (North West border area of India) and studied for the duration from April to August 2021 using the full factorial design with four inlet variables at multilevel to find a model equation between inlet and outlet variables, i.e., heat exchanger effectiveness and achieved temperature difference. An induced airflow mode has been used to provide near-uniform flow through all corresponding pipes of symmetrical-shaped earth air heat exchangers. The values of Dry bulb temperature (DBT) and wet bulb temperature (WBT) have been measured for air inlet, for air outlet, as well as for ambient air using resistance temperature detectors (RTD) installed at the requisite locations. Earth's undisturbed temperature (EUT) was also noted by installing RTD at a depth of 2 m, and the average measured value of EUT is found to be 28.5°C. The current system has imparted the temperature difference variation from 0.4 oC to 9.4 oC, and the effectiveness varied from 0.16 to 0.82 during the whole season. This system could give a cooling potential of 0.0523 kJ/s to 1.587 kJ/s using a mass flow rate of 0.163 kg/s.Experiments have been designed methodically to apply the full factorial technique. Most favorable parameters have been found for hot and dry and hot and humid weather. The current study is novel in terms of significantly improving the effectiveness of EAHE and addressing the central issue of space limitation in urban areas.

Gallstone disease (GSD) is a prevalent health condition that impacts many adults and is associated with presence of stones in gallbladder cavity that results in inflammation, pain, fever, nausea and vomiting. Several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in the past have identified genes associated with GSD but only a few were focused on Latino population. To identify genetic risk factors for GSD in Latino population living in the Southwest USA we used self-reported clinical history, physical and lab measurements data in Sangre Por Salud (SPS) cohort and identified participants with and without diagnosis of GSD. We performed a GWAS on this phenotype using GSD cases matched to normal controls based on a tight criterion. We identified several novel loci associated with GSD as well as loci that were previously identified in past GWAS studies. The top 3 loci (MATN2, GPRIN3, GPC6) were strongly associated with GSD phenotype in our combined analysis and a sex stratified analysis results in females were closest to the overall results reflecting a general higher disease prevalence in females. The top identified variants in MATN2, GPRIN3, and GPC6 remain unchanged after local ancestry adjustment in SPS Latino population. Follow-up pathway enrichment analysis suggests enrichment of GO terms that are associated with immunological pathways; enzymatic processes in gallbladder, liver, and gastrointestinal tract; and GSD pathology. Our findings suggest an initial starting point towards better and deeper understanding of differences in gallstone disease pathology, biological mechanisms, and disease progression among Southwest US Latino population.

Downsizing double-pipe heat exchangers is possible by deploying ribs on the two sides of the heat exchangers. The shape of these ribs, along with two key geometric variables – pitch and height, are crucial in the selection of energy-efficient rib configurations. This is because, the enhancement in heat transfer performance comes at the cost of increased pressure drop. Thus, the goal of this three-dimensional numerical investigation is to identify favourable rib shapes and explore the effect of truncation on triangular ribs, something which is missing from existing literature. Truncation is expected to greatly affect the performance of triangular ribs, either adversely or favorably. To explore this conclusively, an unbiased and exhaustive analysis is carried out by comparing the performance of confinements with modified and regular triangular ribs, keeping plain confinements as the baseline. Furthermore, the effects of two principal design variables – rib height and rib pitch are explored for each shape. Separate results are presented for the inner and outer confinements of the double-pipe heat exchangers (pipes and annuli) to allow for the extrapolation of results for a wide range of applications employing internal flows in pipes and annuli. A phenomenological model is developed to classify the thermo-hydraulic performance of each confinement and identify optimal geometrical configuration and identify best performing design(s). Once optimal rib pitch-height combinations are identified, performance at this optimal combination is evaluated at different Reynolds numbers, spanning from 10,000 to 30,000.

Nowadays business enterprises are using wide applications in their business operations and supply chain management. The radio frequency identification technology (RFID) is a smart tag with an intelligent device embedded with a chip attached to the inventory units which helps in a transaction. A wireless system of RFID helps in tracking the inventory and getting the market value of the products. But somewhere the adoption of RFID particularly for MSMEs in the supply chain is a challenge and achieving efficiency and responsiveness of use of the RFID technology is the major challenge for the firm. The researcher in this paper has done the critical analysis of perceived benefits of using RFID and its implementation issues and tried to suggest the measures for effective supply chain management using RFID technology. The study has tried to point out various attributes that may affect the adaptation of RFID technology.

This research delves into the exploration of Cassia fistulaseeds as a natural coagulant for water treatment. C. fistula, also recognized as the golden shower tree and indigenous to South and Southeast Asia, boasts seeds with promising coagulation properties. With growing concerns over the limitations and drawbacks of conventional chemical coagulants, there is a critical need to explore alternative, sustainable solutions. Traditional chemical coagulants used in water treatment face several challenges, including reduced efficacy in low temperatures, high procurement costs, health risks, and the generation of significant sludge. Addressing these limitations is crucial to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of water treatment processes. In this study, C. fistulaseed powder was prepared and evaluated as a bio-coagulant. FTIR analysis was conducted to identify the functional groups present in the seeds, and the optimal extraction method using either distilled water or 1 M NaCl was determined. The research employed a central composite design of response surface methodology (RSM) with Design Expert software version 13 to conduct 30 experimental runs, optimizing turbidity removal efficiency by adjusting pH, coagulant dosage, settling time, and mixing time. Additionally, a comparative analysis with alum, a conventional chemical coagulant, was performed. The results unveiled that C. fistulaachieved a remarkable turbidity removal efficiency of 98.1% at an optimal dosage of 10 mLL−1, pH of 4, and a mixing time of 10 min, followed by a sedimentation time of 30 min for highly turbid waters (300 ± 20 NTU) and 72% for waters with lower turbidity (100 ± 50 NTU). In contrast, alum demonstrated an 88.1% efficiency for low turbidity waters. These outcomes underscore C. fistula’s potential as an effective, cost-efficient natural coagulant, providing a viable substitute for traditional chemical coagulants.

ABSTRACTThis paper presents a coordinated wide-area damping control of power system stabilizers (PSSs), static synchronous compensator (STATCOM), and static synchronous series compensator (SSSC) for grid-forming based wind and solar PV generation resources. The main objective of this work is to enhance the damping for inter-area oscillations while maintaining the voltage and frequency in the prescribed range, taking into consideration the operational uncertainties. Better voltage and reactive power support are provided by the use of STATCOM and for additional damping, an SSSC is employed with the coordinated wide-area damping controller (CWADC). Variable-speed wind turbine control methodology strategically combined with inertia control, de-loading control, pitch angle control, and electronic rotor speed control is employed to obtain an optimum response for discontinuous generation mixes and variable wind speed. The geometric measures of controllability/observability and residues method have been utilized to choose the appropriate input control signals and optimal location of CWADC. A multi-objective salp swarm algorithm has been used to optimize the parameters of the proposed CWADC. To demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed CWADC, nonlinear time-domain simulations are performed on a modified IEEE 68-bus test system embedded with hybrid wind-solar power plants considered multiple time delays.

The capability of manufacturing controlled and uniform geometry of channels is critical for potential application of friction stir channeling in thermal systems. The channel geometry is governed by the material flow around the tool during the channeling process. The heat generation and material flow are closely dependent on the friction stir channeling parameters (tool geometry and process parameters). In the present investigation the interrelation between the friction stir channeling parameters with material flow and channel geometry is analysed. The channel geometry is found to be function of tool geometry for constant process parameters. The channel area and height increase with reduction in the pin diameter, the shoulder diameter and with increase in the pin length. The process parameters govern the channel geometry for constant tool geometry. The increase in tool rotation speed, and reduction in tool travel speed and shoulder clearance resulted in reduction in channel area and height.

Background: To assess the long-term visual outcomes in patients with posteriorly located choroidal melanoma treated with ruthenium plaque brachytherapy between January 2013 and December 2015. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on consecutive patients treated with ruthenium plaque brachytherapy for post-equatorial choroidal melanoma with available Snellen visual acuity before and after treatment, and the development and treatment of radiation complications. Results: There were 219 patients with posterior choroidal melanoma treated with ruthenium plaque brachytherapy. Median follow up was 56.5 months, range 12–81 months. Final visual acuity was ≥6/12 in 97 (44.3%) patients, 6/12 to 6/60 in 57 (26.0%), <6/60 in 55 (25.1%) and 10 (4.6%) eyes were enucleated. Radiation maculopathy was the most common radiation complication encountered, occurring in 53 (24.2%) patients. Of these, final visual acuity was 6/12 in 10 patients (18.9%), 6/12 to 6/60 in 26 (49.1%), <6/60 in 16 (30.2%) and 1 eye (1.9%) was enucleated. Twenty-five (47%) with radiation maculopathy were treated with intravitreal anti-angiogenic therapy, 27 (51%) were monitored and one (2%) was treated with scatter photocoagulation. Eyes treated with intravitreal anti-angiogenic therapy had better final vision than those observed or treated with retinal laser (chi-square, p= 0.04). On multivariate analysis, close proximity to the optic nerve and fovea, and large or notched plaque type was associated with final vision worse than 6/12. Conclusion: Most patients treated with ruthenium plaque brachytherapy for posterior choroidal melanoma retain 6/60 vision, with almost half retaining 6/12 vision at long term follow up.

High-strength alloys can be efficiently welded utilizing laser beam welding because of their attributes, such as minimized fusion, heat-affected zone extensions, and minor deformation. Computational study of the laser material interaction process assists in analysing numerous process variables and their effect, which is challenging experimentally. This work developed a 3D numerical model for pulsed laser welding of high-carbon alloy steel. A hybrid 3D conical heat source model with a double ellipsoid and a 3D conical heat source model was employed to study laser–material interaction in the finite element modelling of the process. Post-processing of the simulation results for both the heat sources was compared to investigate the suitability of the volumetric heat source depicting experimental data. The analysis was carried out by comparing the models and calculating the dimensions of weld geometry for various process parameters. A suitable heat source for the weld geometry was identified using the isotherms. Commercial software (Comsol Multiphysics 5.6) is used to solve the conduction and heat flux equations using Finite Element Methods. By altering the welding speed at three different peak powers, the weld pool depth and width were calculated. The results were plotted and matched with the experimental data for the two different heat sources. Finally, the heat sources were compared to obtain the laser peak power for full-depth penetration of the weld joint. The simulations were further validated by comparing the experimental results of weld geometry at different laser peak power.

The advancement in technology and digitalisation provides a pathway for the adoption of digital payment. The study aimed to determine the awareness, perception, and role of demonetisation regarding the adoption of digital payment apps. The study collected the primary data through a structured questionnaire from 396 UG and PG students in the Ghaziabad district. The study found no significant difference between the expected and actual benefits of digital payment apps. Qualification and gender were found to be significant factors for the adoption of digital payment apps. Convenient, time-saving, and no need to carry cash are the main factors for adopting and using the digital payment app. Lack of trust, risk associated with it, and unavailability of the technical equipment are the reasons found by the study for not using digital payment apps. The study suggests ways for companies to build the trust of their customers to adopt digital payment apps.

The large integration of renewable energy sources into power systems causes frequency fluctuation, low-frequency oscillations, and deterioration in power system stability. High penetration of wind and solar power also causes a high-frequency nadir and a high rate of change of frequency (ROCOF) after large disturbances. This paper presents a novel simultaneous power oscillation damping and frequency control in grid-connected AC microgrid while taking into consideration of the imperfect communication medium. The coordinated approach-based control scheme is used to enhance the frequency response as well as damping of low-frequency oscillations while maintaining the voltage and frequency in the prescribed range considering renewable uncertainties. In this proposed composite control, the power oscillation damping controller (POD) is based on reactive power modulation, whereas the frequency controller is based on active power modulation. The proposed POD and frequency controller is coordinated with the Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) robust controller to enhance stability and mitigate the communication effect, noise, and time delay. The performance of the composite control scheme is compared by simulation of a grid-connected AC Microgrid by using MATLAB/Simulink software. The simulation result demonstrates the performance of the proposed controller over conventional droop controller for large power flow under different operating conditions, under\over frequency events, and under imperfect communication medium. Such grid support performance is expected to earn new revenue creating opportunities for AC microgrids.

Enhancing gas-side thermal conductance is essential for the compact sizing of finned-tube heat exchangers, and this study attempts it by integrating vortex generators. The orientation of the vortex generators, which is defined by its attack angle, has a strong bearing on the degree of augmentation. As energy-efficiency keeps varying with the attack angle, the thrust of this investigation is to identify best attack angle(s) for the stipulated task. Since spatial positioning of the generators too has a strong bearing on the energy-efficiency, therefore, its effect is duly accounted for a comprehensive investigation. For the selection of optimal designs, regression-based phenomenological models are used as they apply thermo-hydraulic trade-off. After determining the best angle(s), a study is carried out to evaluate their robustness under varying operating conditions. Although phenomenological models are adequate for design optimization, they do not describe the physics of thermo-hydraulic enhancement. Therefore, a study explaining the bearing of design modifications on the local characteristics too is carried out. Additionally, a study discussing the effect of generators' attack angle on heat transfer over the wake affected surfaces, which has a predominant existence in baseline flows, is reported. It has been found that the thermal augmentation over the said surfaces is the key to compact sizing of the system. For a selected wake-region deployment, the highest relative Colburn j-factor corresponding to wake-affected fin equals 3.07 at a specified Reynolds number..

Fin-and-tube heat exchangers are an integral part of several thermal systems of mass utility such as air conditioners and heat pumps. The demand of the aforesaid thermal systems has increased multi folds over the past decade. In order to improve the heat exchange capacity of fin-and-tube heat exchangers, deploying longitudinal vortex generators is an effective method. As geometry of the vortex generators is an important design parameter, the thrust of this investigation is to come up with the most favorable geometry of winglet type generators. The selection of favorable winglet geometry requires thermo-hydraulic assessment to identify energy-efficient design(s). Multiple favorable positions are considered, for installing the winglets around the tubes, before arriving at the favorable geometric design(s). After ascertaining the promising designs, their applicability is examined over a range of Reynolds number which spans from 2122 to 6367. Later part of the study discusses the change in the thermal and flow characteristics, of the heat exchanger, due to variation in the winglet geometry. A study of the flow structures makes it evident that the spread of the longitudinal vortices widens, with eventual dissipation, in the flow direction, which has a discernible effect on the heat flux distribution over the fin surface. The study pertaining to the local changes suggests that the surfaces of both fins as well as the tubes undergo heat transfer augmentations, and the degree of augmentation grows with the decreasing aspect ratio of the vortex generators.

With the help of mobile phones, the whole scenario of banking and financial transactions has undergone a paradigm shift from the long waiting queue in the bank to going through rigorous channels for banking services to the customer's home desktop and laptop. The study aimed to know the impact of demonetisation on m-banking transactions and to know the current significant factors for the non-adoption of m-banking. The secondary data was taken from the official website of RBI, while primary data was collected through questionnaire from the urban area of the National Capital Region of India. The study found significant change in m-banking transactions after the demonetisation in India. The reasons behind the non-adoption of m-banking were found to be a lack of trust/risk, lack of awareness/knowledge, and inconvenience/not technology friendly. The study recommended that the banks and the government take the necessary steps to make m-banking transactions more secure and safer.

The unique structural components of cell membranes of Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and mycobacteria provide an excellent therapeutic target for developing highly specific antimicrobials. Here, we report the synthesis of nine cholic acid (CA)-derived amphiphiles, where three hydroxyl groups of CA were tethered to dimethylamino pyridine and the C24-carboxyl group was conjugated with different alkyl chains. Structure–activity investigations revealed that amphiphile 1harboring a methyl group has antimicrobial activity against mycobacterial species. On the other hand, amphiphile 7containing an octyl chain was selective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacilli. Biochemical assays confirmed the selective membrane permeabilization abilities of amphiphiles 1and 7. Importantly, we demonstrate the selective actions of amphiphiles in clearing biofilms, intracellular bacteria, and wound infections. Therefore, for the first time, we show that the unique structural features of CA-derived amphiphiles dictate selective activity against specific bacterial species.

Anthropomorphism in social robots amplifies the big five human personality traits (extraversion, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness to experience, and agreeableness), consequently aiding with the social motivation needs of consumers (especially individuals with autism spectrum disorder or ASD). According to the social motivation theory of autism, consumers with ASD show deficits in orienting toward social stimuli, engaging with humans, and maintaining social relations. Robotic anthropomorphism has been found to be positively related to the big five human personality types and robot likeability in human-robot interaction (HRI) situations. This research focuses on the conversational approach of social robotics using service-dominant approach. Conversation-based perspectives have been studied extensively in organizational and management literature; however, these perspectives have not been utilized in the context of social robots, HRI, and autism.

In the present scenario, global concern about the preservation of environment creates a necessity to mature more ecological manufacturing processes. In this context, cryogenic coolants i.e., liquid nitrogen (LN2) and liquid carbon dioxide (LCO2) are proved to be the prominent alternatives to conventional carbon-based flood coolant pollutants. However, the comparison of these cryogenic coolants based on machining performance is still lacking to cut the materials having low machinability like Inconel 718 at various cutting speeds (vc). In this context, thrust force, tool wear, and hole quality indicators using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis, microhardness, chip morphology for drilling Inconel 718 utilizing cryogenic fluids i.e., LCO2and LN2are extensively explored. Holes are drilled at three values of vcfor both cooling conditions. By analyzing the mean of thrust force, 14 %, 9 %, and 31 % reduced values of it have been observed for LCO2as compared to LN2when the same quantity of holes are considered for vcas 10, 15, and 20 m/min correspondingly. Both cryogenic coolants reveal abrasion and chipping wear mechanisms on tools as significant at all vc. However, a higher worn region on the rake and flank face of drills was found for LN2. A superior machining performance was observed for LCO2in comparison with LN2at all vc. The superiority of LCO2over LN2makes it suitable for high-value machining industries.

BackgroundChoroidal naevi are a common incidental finding prompting specialist referrals to ocular oncology. Rarely, such lesions have sufficient suspicious features to diagnose a small melanoma. The aim of the study is to show that ‘virtual’ imaging-based pathways are a safe and efficient option to manage such referrals.MethodsA prospective cohort study at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital and Moorfields Eye Hospital between June 2016 and July 2017 of the management decision of 400 patients reviewed by an ophthalmologist in a face-to-face consultation (gold standard) supported by fundus photography, optical coherence tomography, autofluorescence (AF) and B-mode ultrasound. The images were also read independently by blinded graders (non-medical) and blinded ophthalmologists, and a management decision was made based on image review alone (virtual pathway). The two pathways were compared for safety.ResultsThe agreement for management decisions between face-to-face and virtual pathways was 83.1% (non-medical) and 82.6% (medical). There were more over-referrals in the virtual pathway (non-medical 24.3%, medical 23.3% of gold standard discharge) and only two under-referrals (10.5% of gold standard referrals), both borderline cases with minimal clinical risk. The agreement for risk factors of growth (orange pigment, subretinal fluid, hyper-AF) ranged between 82.3% and 97.3%.ConclusionsWe prospectively validated a virtual clinic model for the safe management of choroidal naevi. Such a model of care is feasible with low rate of under-referral. An over-referral rate of almost 24% from the vitrual pathway needs to be factored into designing such pathways in conjunction with evidence on their cost-effectiveness.

PurposeTo report the outcomes of intravitreal methotrexate (MTX) injections to rescue eyes with relapsed primary intraocular lymphoma (PIOL).MethodsRetrospective case series of patients with ocular relapse of PIOL who had initially received systemic chemotherapy (all five cases) and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) to brain and orbits (two cases). Injections of MTX (400 µg/0.1 mL) were given one time per week for 1 month, every other week for 4 months, followed by a maintenance phase of one injection one time per month for 8 months (total of 20 injections in a year).ResultsFrom April 2008 to February 2016, there were nine eyes of five patients (three men; average age at first presentation 62 years) treated with our rescue protocol of intravitreal MTX injections. Ocular relapse occurred at a mean interval of 15 months (range 5–34 months) after the completion of initial systemic treatment. At mean follow-up of 31 months (range 5–104 months), tumour control was achieved in eight out of nine eyes (89%); one eye failed, with persistent retinal infiltrates despite increasing the frequency of injections, resulting in severe keratopathy. The only other complication occurred in one eye, developing cystoid macular oedema from MTX injections that resolved with topical anti-inflammatory medications and reduced frequency of MTX. There were no cases of reduced vision or ocular relapse, but two patients died (one of central nervous system lymphoma).ConclusionsIntravitreal MTX was a safe and effective treatment modality for relapsed PIOL after systemic chemotherapy and radiotherapy, achieving local tumour control in 89%, and hence represents an optimal choice. However, given the rare nature of PIOL, larger collaborative studies with longer follow-up are needed to corroborate this.

Due to non-invasive and easy to acquire procedure, electrocardiogram (ECG) is broadly adopted for extracting the correct heart health status of the subject (patient). In this paper, a method of analysing ECG signals (based on R-peak detection) recorded during different postures (i.e., sitting, standing and supine) has been presented. The results of this analysis are also compared with standard physioNet database (MIT-BIH arrhythmia database) for validation. Real time ECG signals in all three postures were acquired for 500 subjects, out of which signals of 17 subjects are used for analysis. For filtering these subjects' recordings, existing techniques need a higher order of analogue and digital filters. It increases the complexity of the system, which motivated us to use the combination of principal component analysis (PCA) and independent component analysis (ICA). This combination fulfils the need of higher order filters (HOFs). PCA is used for dimension reduction, whereas ICA is used for noise removal.

Electron Beam Melting (EBM) is an emerging additive manufacturing technique for the fabrication of titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V for orthopedic applications. Here, a hybrid manufacturing technique viz. EBM with Friction Stir Processing (FSP) has been proposed to enhance implant surface properties. The surface modification using FSP reduces the roughness generated by the EBM technique from ~44.77 μm to ~15.82 μm. Simultaneously, FSP improves the biological and mechanical properties of the Ti-6Al-4V substrates. The roughness, wettability, amounts of ions released, and surface microhardness were measured to analyze the stability of the substrates. The effect of the hybrid processing strategy on cell viability was tested against mouse fibroblast cells NIH3T3 through MTT assay, and we found that the friction stir processed substrate (EBM-F) showed the highest cell viability. The EBM-F surface displays a two-fold increase in the cell-viability as compared to the unprocessed EBM surface after 24 h of cell-seeding. The FSP substrate allows human cervical cells HeLa to adhere onto its surface while selectively preventing the attachment of E.colibacterial cells. These observations towards cells signify biocompatible surface characteristics of the FSP EBM substrate.

The gas hydrate formation in pipelines of industries and chemical plants can cause various operational damages and can increase economic risks. Hence, the knowledge of hydrate formation conditions has become a critical research study to overcome the problems arising from the formation of hydrates. In this study, we applied an algorithm to develop an LSSVM model to predict the formation temperature of natural gas hydrate for a comprehensive range of data points. Total 188 experimental data points were applied from the literature for the development of the LSSVM model. The input parameter was finalized based on the structure of hydrates by each gas species. The results obtained by the LSSVM model have good accuracy as compared with empirical correlations available in the literature. This model gave the squared correlation coefficient (R2), and root mean square error of 0.9901 and 0.59974, respectively. The composition of gases may affect the phase equilibrium condition of gas hydrates. The applied algorithm revealed that the developed LSSVM model could become a good alternative for calculating the formation temperature of hydrate for the range of all data sets. The results showed that the proposed LSSVM model could be applicable for the prediction of hydrate formation temperature for all data points.

To report the long-term outcomes of patients with small, pigmented, posteriorly located choroidal melanoma undergoing primary treatment using photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin at the London Ocular Oncology Service.

Background and objective: Circumscribed choroidal haemangioma (CCH) has several characteristic clinical and angiographic features. We aimed to compare indocyanine green angiography (ICG) findings of CCH captured on a traditional digital camera system (DCS) to newer scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) platforms. Study design/materials and methods: A total of 35 patients over a 10-year period diagnosed with CCH using ICG were included (18 imaged with DCS and 17 with SLO). Results: On early ICG frames, intrinsic vessels were apparent in two-thirds (12/18; 67%) of the DCS group compared with all of eyes in the SLO group (p= 0.020). In addition, at maximal hyperfluorescence, most eyes imaged with DCS had a feathery appearance (16/18; 89%) compared with those in the SLO group which all (17/17; 100%) displayed a granular appearance (p< 0.001). The presence of hot spots at maximal hyperfluorescence was also more common in the SLO group (12/17; 71%) versus the DCS group (0/18; 0%) (p< 0.001). Finally, intrinsic vessels and vascular loops could be identified throughout the entire duration of the ICG in 100% of the SLO cases (17/17) versus only 11% (2/18) of DCS cases (p< 0.001). Conclusions: The visualization of intrinsic vessels, vascular loops, and “hot spots” in CCH is significantly enhanced with SLO compared with DCS. Many characteristic mid-late angiographic findings of CCH are more optimally visualized on SLO which may negate the need for late frames (>30 min) without compromising diagnostic accuracy.

Tuberculosis is an important public health problem among infectious diseases. The problem becomes more concerning with the emergence of MDR-TB and pre-XDR-TB. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) detection of resistance has recently gained popularity as it has advantages over other commercial techniques.

The effect of energy density on different mechanical, microstructural and surface properties was examined for laser powder bed fusion of additively manufactured stainless steel 316L (AM SS316L). The energy density was varied by changing laser power from 80 to 180 W to print AM SS316L samples. The investigations include various mechanical tests and microstructural characterizations such as tensile strength, hardness, density, roughness, wear and residual stresses. At an energy density of 84 J/mm3, maximum tensile strength, hardness and density were obtained as 640 MPa, 246 HV and 99.47%, respectively. However, a minimum wear rate of 1.9 (mm3/(N*m))*10−5was achieved at an energy density of 84 J/mm3. Residual stresses were tensile on the top surface and varied with the energy density. The corrosion performance of SS316L was measured in Ringer's solution for bio-implant applications with the potentiodynamic polarization test. The minimum corrosion rate was obtained at an energy density of 37 J/mm3. The microstructure behavior with respect to different characterizations was examined. The non-homogenous grain growth was observed with the cellular and columnar grains. This study would help to find optimum parameters for desired mechanical and surface properties.

The objective of this paper is to determine the benefits and challenges of valuation and disclosure of human resources based on prior art. The study found low adoption rate of HR accounting, no standard method for valuation of human resource, no legal provision for the adoption of it, and disclosure of the same in the annual reports of the organization. The study recommended adopting the HRAP as there is evidence of an increase in the profitability and increase in the efficiency of the employees.

BackgroundConjunctival melanoma is the second most common conjunctival malignant tumour after squamous cell carcinoma, usually arising from primary acquired melanosis and less commonly from a conjunctival naevus or de novo. We report four cases of conjunctival melanoma masquerading as ocular surface squamous neoplasia.MethodsFour patients (2 females and 2 males; mean age 60.7 years; range 41–72 years) were referred for suspicious conjunctival lesions. In all cases, the lesions had a perilimbal location, were non-pigmented (cases 1 and 3) or mildly pigmented (cases 2 and 4), had a fleshy (cases 1, 2 and 4) or papillomatous (case 3) appearance and involved the corneal surface. In each case, our main clinical differential diagnosis included conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia and squamous cell carcinoma. All four patients underwent an excisional biopsy with double freeze-thaw cryotherapy and alcohol keratoepitheliectomy.ResultsIn all four cases, the histopathological diagnosis was of invasive conjunctival melanoma with extension to the deep surgical margins. Adjuvant therapy consisting of strontium-90 β radiotherapy (all 4 patients) and topical Mitomicyn C (patient 2) was administered.ConclusionConjunctival melanoma can clinically resemble ocular surface squamous neoplasia. Clinical impressions therefore need to be confirmed histopathologically.

Objective:The aim of this study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the MOLES scoring system in differentiating choroidal melanomas from nevi according to Mushroom shape, Orange pigment, Large tumor size, Enlarging tumor, and Subretinal fluid (SRF). Methods:Color photographs, fundus-autofluorescence images, and optical coherence tomography of 222 melanocytic choroidal tumors were reviewed. Each MOLES feature was retrospectively scored between 0 and 2 and tumors categorized as “common nevus,” “low-risk nevus,” “high-risk nevus,” and “probable melanoma” according to the total score. MOLES scores were compared with the experts’ diagnosis of melanoma. Results:The MOLES scoring system indicated melanoma in all 81 tumors diagnosed as such by ocular oncologists (100% sensitivity) and nevus in 135 of 141 tumors given this diagnosis by these experts (95.7% specificity). Of the 6 tumors with discordant diagnoses, 4 had basal diameters exceeding 6 mm, all with SRF and/or orange pigment, and 2 small tumors showed either significant SRF with traces of orange pigment, or vice versa. Conclusions:The MOLES system for diagnosing melanocytic choroidal tumors compares well with expert diagnosis but needs to be evaluated when deployed by ophthalmologists and community optometrists in a wide variety of working environments.

The study examines the relationship between the big five personality traits (extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness) and robot likeability and successful HRI implementation in varying human-robot interaction (HRI) situations. Further, this research investigates the influence of human-like attributes in robots (a.k.a. robotic anthropomorphism) on the likeability of robots. The research found that robotic anthropomorphism positively influences the relationship between human personality variables (e.g., extraversion and agreeableness) and robot likeability in human interaction with social robots. Further, anthropomorphism positively influences extraversion and robot likeability during industrial robotic interactions with humans. Extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism were found to play a significant role. This research bridges the gap by providing an in-depth understanding of the big five human personality traits, robotic anthropomorphism, and robot likeability in social-collaborative robotics.

Objectives: To determine survival outcomes following enucleation for uveal melanoma. To compare these outcomes with the 8th edition AJCC classification and determine the influence of cytogenetics, using Fluorescent in situ Hybridisation (FISH), on survival. To determine whether failure to gain sufficient sample for cytogenetics using Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) correlates with survival. Subjects/Methods: All patients undergoing primary enucleation for uveal melanoma at Moorfields Eye Hospital between 2012 and 2015 were included. Clinical, pathological, cytological and survival data were analysed for all patients. Results: In total, 155 subjects were included. Mean age at enucleation was 65.9 years (SD 14.13). 88 (56.8%) patients died at a mean of three (SD 1.9) years following enucleation. Of these, 52 (33.5%) died from metastatic melanoma, 16 (10.3%) from other causes and 20 (12.9%) causes of death were unknown. Cumulative incidence analysis demonstrated AJCC grade, chromosome 8q gain and monosomy three all predict metastatic mortality. The greatest 5-year mortality rate (62%, SD10.1%) was in those with both chromosome abnormalities and AJCC stage III (Stage IV patients excluded due to low numbers). Largest basal diameter and chromosome status, both independently (p= 0.02 and p< 0.001) predicted metastatic mortality on multivariable regression analysis. Those who had an insufficient sample of cells gained during FNAB (n= 16) had no different prognosis. Conclusions: This study confirms, in this population, the poor survival of patients enucleated for uveal melanomas. It confirms the prognostic utility of adding AJCC grade to cytogenetic information. It demonstrates that the lack of sample in patients undergoing FNAB is not related to prognosis.

The present work focuses on developing a framework for accurate prediction of thermodynamic conditions for single-component hydrates, namely CH4, CO2, N2, H2S, and C2H6(coded in MATLAB). For this purpose, an exhaustive approach is adopted by incorporating eight different equations of states, namely Peng–Robinson, van der Waals, Soave–Redlich–Kwong, Virial, Redlich–Kwong, Tsai-Teja, Patel, and Esmaeilzadeh–Roshanfekr, with the well-known van der Waals–Platteeuw model. Overall, for I–H–Vphase region, the Virial and van der Waals equation of state gives the most accurate predictions with minimum AAD%. For Lw–H–Vphase region, Peng–Robinson equation of state is found to yield the most accurate predictions with overall AAD of 3.36%. Also, genetic programming algorithm is adopted to develop a generalized correlation. Overall, the correlation yields quick estimation with an average deviation of less than 1%. The accurate estimation yields a minimal AAD of 0.32% for CH4, 1.93% for C2H6, 0.77% for CO2, 0.64% for H2S, and 0.72% for N2. The same correlation can be employed for fitting phase equilibrium data for other hydrates too. The tuning parameter, n, is to be used for fine adjustment to the phase equilibrium data. The findings of this study can help for a better understanding of phase equilibrium and cage occupancy behavior of different gas hydrates. The accuracy in phase equilibria is intimately related to industrial applications such as crude oil transportation, solid separation, and gas storage. To date, no single correlation is available in the literature that can accurately predict phase equilibria for multiple hydrate species. The novelty of the present work lies in both the accuracy and generalizability of the proposed correlation in predicting the phase equilibrium data. The genetic programming generalized correlation is convenient for performing quick equilibrium prediction for industrial applications.

Research on human-robot interaction (HRI) is growing; however, focus on the congruent socio-behavioral HRI research fields of social cognition, socio-behavioral intentions, and code of ethics is lacking. Humans possess an inherent ability of integrating perception, cognition, and action; while robots may have limitations as they may not recognize an object or a being, navigate a terrain, and/or comprehend written or verbal language and instructions. This HRI research focuses on issues and challenges for both humans and robots from social, behavioral, technical, and ethical perspectives. The human ability to anthropomorphize robots and adoption of ‘intentional mindset' toward robots through xenocentrism have added new dimensions to HRI. Robotic anthropomorphism plays a significant role in how humans can be successful companions of robots. This research explores social cognitive intelligence versus artificial intelligence with a focus on privacy protections and ethical implications of HRI while designing robots that are ethical, cognitively and artificially intelligent, and social human-like agents.

BackgroundPast research in population health trends has shown that injuries form a substantial burden of population health loss. Regular updates to injury burden assessments are critical. We report Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 Study estimates on morbidity and mortality for all injuries.MethodsWe reviewed results for injuries from the GBD 2017 study. GBD 2017 measured injury-specific mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) using the Cause of Death Ensemble model. To measure non-fatal injuries, GBD 2017 modelled injury-specific incidence and converted this to prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs). YLLs and YLDs were summed to calculate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).FindingsIn 1990, there were 4 260 493 (4 085 700 to 4 396 138) injury deaths, which increased to 4 484 722 (4 332 010 to 4 585 554) deaths in 2017, while age-standardised mortality decreased from 1079 (1073 to 1086) to 738 (730 to 745) per 100 000. In 1990, there were 354 064 302 (95% uncertainty interval: 338 174 876 to 371 610 802) new cases of injury globally, which increased to 520 710 288 (493 430 247 to 547 988 635) new cases in 2017. During this time, age-standardised incidence decreased non-significantly from 6824 (6534 to 7147) to 6763 (6412 to 7118) per 100 000. Between 1990 and 2017, age-standardised DALYs decreased from 4947 (4655 to 5233) per 100 000 to 3267 (3058 to 3505).InterpretationInjuries are an important cause of health loss globally, though mortality has declined between 1990 and 2017. Future research in injury burden should focus on prevention in high-burden populations, improving data collection and ensuring access to medical care.

BackgroundWhile there is a long history of measuring death and disability from injuries, modern research methods must account for the wide spectrum of disability that can occur in an injury, and must provide estimates with sufficient demographic, geographical and temporal detail to be useful for policy makers. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 study used methods to provide highly detailed estimates of global injury burden that meet these criteria.MethodsIn this study, we report and discuss the methods used in GBD 2017 for injury morbidity and mortality burden estimation. In summary, these methods included estimating cause-specific mortality for every cause of injury, and then estimating incidence for every cause of injury. Non-fatal disability for each cause is then calculated based on the probabilities of suffering from different types of bodily injury experienced.ResultsGBD 2017 produced morbidity and mortality estimates for 38 causes of injury. Estimates were produced in terms of incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability, cause-specific mortality, years of life lost and disability-adjusted life-years for a 28-year period for 22 age groups, 195 countries and both sexes.ConclusionsGBD 2017 demonstrated a complex and sophisticated series of analytical steps using the largest known database of morbidity and mortality data on injuries. GBD 2017 results should be used to help inform injury prevention policy making and resource allocation. We also identify important avenues for improving injury burden estimation in the future.

BackgroundThe epidemiological transition of non-communicable diseases replacing infectious diseases as the main contributors to disease burden has been well documented in global health literature. Less focus, however, has been given to the relationship between sociodemographic changes and injury. The aim of this study was to examine the association between disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from injury for 195 countries and territories at different levels along the development spectrum between 1990 and 2017 based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 estimates.MethodsInjury mortality was estimated using the GBD mortality database, corrections for garbage coding and CODEm—the cause of death ensemble modelling tool. Morbidity estimation was based on surveys and inpatient and outpatient data sets for 30 cause-of-injury with 47 nature-of-injury categories each. The Socio-demographic Index (SDI) is a composite indicator that includes lagged income per capita, average educational attainment over age 15 years and total fertility rate.ResultsFor many causes of injury, age-standardised DALY rates declined with increasing SDI, although road injury, interpersonal violence and self-harm did not follow this pattern. Particularly for self-harm opposing patterns were observed in regions with similar SDI levels. For road injuries, this effect was less pronounced.ConclusionsThe overall global pattern is that of declining injury burden with increasing SDI. However, not all injuries follow this pattern, which suggests multiple underlying mechanisms influencing injury DALYs. There is a need for a detailed understanding of these patterns to help to inform national and global efforts to address injury-related health outcomes across the development spectrum.

BackgroundFalls can lead to severe health loss including death. Past research has shown that falls are an important cause of death and disability worldwide. The Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 (GBD 2017) provides a comprehensive assessment of morbidity and mortality from falls.MethodsEstimates for mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were produced for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017 for all ages using the GBD 2017 framework. Distributions of the bodily injury (eg, hip fracture) were estimated using hospital records.ResultsGlobally, the age-standardised incidence of falls was 2238 (1990–2532) per 100 000 in 2017, representing a decline of 3.7% (7.4 to 0.3) from 1990 to 2017. Age-standardised prevalence was 5186 (4622–5849) per 100 000 in 2017, representing a decline of 6.5% (7.6 to 5.4) from 1990 to 2017. Age-standardised mortality rate was 9.2 (8.5–9.8) per 100 000 which equated to 695 771 (644 927–741 720) deaths in 2017. Globally, falls resulted in 16 688 088 (15 101 897–17 636 830) YLLs, 19 252 699 (13 725 429–26 140 433) YLDs and 35 940 787 (30 185 695–42 903 289) DALYs across all ages. The most common injury sustained by fall victims is fracture of patella, tibia or fibula, or ankle. Globally, age-specific YLD rates increased with age.ConclusionsThis study shows that the burden of falls is substantial. Investing in further research, fall prevention strategies and access to care is critical.

Since 2000, many countries have achieved considerable success in improving child survival, but localized progress remains unclear. To inform efforts towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.2—to end preventable child deaths by 2030—we need consistently estimated data at the subnational level regarding child mortality rates and trends. Here we quantified, for the period 2000–2017, the subnational variation in mortality rates and number of deaths of neonates, infants and children under 5 years of age within 99 low- and middle-income countries using a geostatistical survival model. We estimated that 32% of children under 5 in these countries lived in districts that had attained rates of 25 or fewer child deaths per 1,000 live births by 2017, and that 58% of child deaths between 2000 and 2017 in these countries could have been averted in the absence of geographical inequality. This study enables the identification of high-mortality clusters, patterns of progress and geographical inequalities to inform appropriate investments and implementations that will help to improve the health of all populations.