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A case study of implementing solar powered infrastructure with grid connectivity, exemplifying the integration of renewable energy solutions in healthcare facilities. The study examines the design, implementation, benefits, and challenges faced during the transformation of a conventional energy based hospital into a sustainable, eco-friendly institution. By leveraging solar photovoltaic (PV) technology and grid-tied systems, the hospital achieves significant energy and financial savings, reduced carbon emissions, and enhanced energy resilience. The findings from this case study provide valuable insights for healthcare institutions seeking to adopt sustainable practices and contribute to a greener future.

The specific objectives of this experimentation is to investigate the splitting tensile strength of concrete subjected to partial setting with varying proportions of fly ash (20% and 25%) and 1% synthetic polypropylene fibers. The examination encompasses the assessment of workability, density, and splitting tensile strength, with the validation of results compared to earlier studies conducted at different time intervals (0, 45, 75, 100, and 180 minutes). The implementation of the Analytical Hierarchy Process assists in prioritizing the optimal parameters for the concrete mix. The findings reveal a reduction in workability and density as the time delay increases; however, there is a notable enhancement in splitting tensile strength, particularly when 1% synthetic polypropylene fibers are incorporated. Consistency in the study is evident, with an average correlation factor of 0.995 in comparison to previous research. The decision-making model highlights the 1% synthetic polypropylene fiber mix as the most suitable, especially at the 100-minute mark, with a weightage of 0.118. This model provides a practical solution to minimize wastage, conserve resources, and cut costs in construction projects affected by delays in casting.

This study provides an extensive overview of the latest developments in metal surface engineering, including methodologies, characterizations, and applications. The study highlights how important surface engineering is for improving metallic materials’ functionality and performance across a range of sectors. Therefore, a series of techniques are presented in this paper for evaluating design surfaces’ mechanical properties, topological properties, and microstructure. This paper presents a review of current advances in the field, focusing on functionalized surfaces for energy applications, nanostructured coatings for corrosion protection, and biomedical applications of modified surfaces. Since lasers and electron beams are mechanically and tribologically superior, there is a long discussion about their environmental footprint. A special focus in the study is on surface functionalization, nanostructured coatings, corrosion protection, and biological applications, as well as recent developments in the field. The paper also discusses the impact they have on the environment. Surface engineering approaches have long been known to enhance corrosion protection, wear resistance, and component functionality in aerospace, automotive, electronics, and healthcare sectors. Thus, the paper’s conclusion emphasizes that more research and development are needed to overcome constraints and take advantage of emerging trends in surface engineering in order to overcome constraints and take advantage of new trends. The paper provides a solid foundation for future research and development in a range of industries affected by surface engineering.

Translational CT (TCT), in developing nations, a low-end computed tomography (CT) technology are relatively common. The limited-angle TCT scanning mode is often used with large-angle scanning to scan items within a narrow angular range, reduce X-ray radiation, scan long objects, and prevent detector discrepancies.. However, this scanning mode greatly reduces the picture quality and diagnostic accuracy due to the added noise and limited-angle distortions. A U-net convolutional neural network-based approach for limited-angle TCT image reconstruction has been created to reconstruct a high-quality image for the limited-angle TCT scanning mode (CNN). The limited-angle TCT projection data are first examined using the SART method, and the resulting picture is then fed into a trained CNN that can reduce artifacts and maintain structures to provide a better reconstructed image. Simulated studies are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm designed for the limitedangle TCT scanning mode. In contrast to certain modern techniques, the developed algorithm considerably lowers noise and limited-angle artifacts while maintaining image structures.

Background: In 2008, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended routine rotavirus immunizations in healthy Canadian infants. Over the following seven years, eight provinces and two territories introduced the rotavirus vaccine into their publicly funded immunization programs. Objective: Assess the burden of rotavirus infections before and after implementation of publicly funded immunization programs. Methods: We analyzed laboratory-confirmed community cases of rotavirus reported to the National Enteric Surveillance Program and hospitalizations of children younger than three years old from 2007 to 2017 with rotavirus diagnosis-specific ICD-10 codes. Rates of illness were calculated for each province for the two years prior to and after implementation of public funding of the vaccine. The year of implementation was not included to accommodate the uptake period of the vaccine. Age-specific rates were assessed in jurisdictions where five years of data were available the year after the vaccine was publicly funded. The pre–post and difference-in-difference (DID) methodologies were applied to hospital discharge data to evaluate changes between the funding and non-funding jurisdictions. Results: Community cases of laboratory-confirmed rotavirus infection reported to the National Enteric Surveillance Program declined by 54% between 2010 and 2017. Rates of hospital discharges decreased significantly among children in six provinces after the adoption of the rotavirus vaccine. Hospital discharge rates in Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Prince Edward Island dropped between 53% and 71%, and by 75% for British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Conclusion: Public funding of the rotavirus vaccine appeared to lead to significant reductions in laboratory-confirmed rotavirus cases reported to the National Enteric Surveillance Program and in the rates of rotavirus gastroenteritis-related hospital discharges.

Contexte : En 2008, le Comité consultatif national de l'immunisation a recommandé la vaccination systématique contre le rotavirus chez les nourrissons canadiens en bonne santé. Au cours des sept années suivantes, huit provinces et deux territoires ont introduit le vaccin contre le rotavirus dans leurs programmes de vaccination financés par le secteur public. Objectif : Évaluer le fardeau des infections à rotavirus avant et après la mise en œuvre des programmes de vaccination financés par le secteur public. Méthodes : Nous avons analysé les cas communautaires confirmés en laboratoire de rotavirus signalés au Programme national de surveillance des maladies entériques et les hospitalisations d'enfants de moins de trois ans de 2007 à 2017 avec des codes CIM-10 propres au diagnostic du rotavirus. Les taux de maladie ont été calculés pour chaque province pour les deux années précédant et suivant la mise en œuvre du financement public du vaccin. L'année de mise en œuvre n'a pas été incluse pour tenir compte de la période d'adoption du vaccin. Les taux selon l'âge ont été évalués dans les provinces ou territoires où des données sur cinq ans étaient disponibles l'année suivant le financement public du vaccin. La méthode d'analyse de données avant et après la mise en œuvre et la méthode de « différence dans les différences » ont été appliquées aux données sur les congés hospitaliers afin d'évaluer les changements entre les provinces ou territoires qui financent un programme et ceux qui n'en financent pas. Résultats : Les cas communautaires d'infection à rotavirus confirmés en laboratoire signalés au Programme national de surveillance des maladies entériques ont diminué de 54 % entre 2010 et 2017. Les taux de congés hospitaliers ont diminué considérablement chez les enfants de six provinces après l'adoption du vaccin contre le rotavirus. Les taux de congés hospitaliers en Alberta, au Manitoba, en Ontario et à l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard ont chuté de 53 % à 71 %, et de 75 % en Colombie-Britannique et en Saskatchewan. Conclusion : Le financement public du vaccin contre le rotavirus semble avoir entraîné une réduction importante des cas de rotavirus confirmés en laboratoire qui ont été signalés au Programme national de surveillance des maladies entériques et des taux de congés hospitaliers liés à la gastro-entérite à rotavirus.

This chapter introduces the thematic volume The Puzzle of Unspent Funds. It explains the scope of the Volume, which conducts a cross-context analysis of unspent funds in its other individual chapters. These chapters span two different socio-economic and institutional contexts: India and Italy, thus presenting valuable points of comparison. They map underspending through the four fiscal phases of collection, allocation, use and monitoring of funds, analysing these phases through the key notions of fiscal architecture and administrative structures, which this chapter explains before emphasizing the main contributions of each individual chapter. This Volume provides an innovative perspective to analyse institutional design and reforms in multilevel governance contexts; administrative and bureaucratic state practices; modalities of state-society engagement; and mechanisms to increase democratic accountability.

The category of geosynthetics includes geocells as a common subclass. As a low-cost, easilyinstalled solution to soil stabilisation problems, geocells are gaining popularity in the field of geotechnical engineering. Assessing and measuring the matric potential of geocell reinforced soil subjected to alternating freezing-thawing cycles depends on understanding the water retention behaviour of the soil. The water retention properties of geocell reinforced soil are influenced by alternate freezing-thawing cycles. For the objective of this study, the thawing soil freezing characteristic curve (SFCC) of a clayey soil with variable numbers of model geocells was determined (0, 1, and 2 number). With the progression of freezingthawing cycles, which dramatically changed the retention behaviour of reinforcing soil, the matric potential was measured using the filter paper method methodology. The thawing SFCC for reinforced soil with model geocell was assessed using the van Genuchten model. For the studied soil with varied numbers of model geocells, the VG model was evaluated for five consecutive freezing-thawing cycles, demonstrating its efficacy in determining the retention behaviour of geocell reinforced soils. The experimental findings showed that the matric potential in SFCC has considerably enhanced due to the presence of model geocell.

Bearing has been used extensively in numerous applications and their unplanned failure has a consequential effect on the smooth operation of the machinery. A slight misalignment in bearing has a detrimental effect on the smooth running of most machines. Hence, the paper leverages finite element technique to simulate the consequential effect of different degrees (0.1°, 0.2°, 0.3°, 0.4°, 0.5°) of misalignment on the dynamic behaviour of a cylindrical roller bearing subjected to typical operating conditions of an airflow root blower. The results of the study show that during operation, the temperature and Hertzian stress developed increased with an increase in the degree of misalignment and operating/rotating speed, and the maximum Hertzian stress was developed on the outer ring of the bearing in all the degrees of misalignments and operational speeds considered. Thus, making the outer ring of the bearing component, the most prone to failure during operation in the presence of misalignment.

Purpose: The rise of out-of-school youth arts organizations, especially those dedicated to addressing social issues with young people, suggests a growing need for spaces in which we prepare young people to creatively and critically shape their communities. While the popularity of these programs is certainly positive, it does little to tell us what pedagogical lessons we might learn from how youth arts organizations approach social justice teaching in the arts. In order to understand what it takes to do social justice art education, our research team investigated the pedagogical strategies used by Center for Urban Pedagogy, an out-of-school youth arts organization. Method: Through qualitative interviews, observations, and document analyses, this case study examined the specific pedagogical strategies used by educators in the Center for Urban Pedagogy’s (CUP) Urban Investigations program to engage young people in creating art for social justice aims. Findings: Our initial findings revealed that the process of interviewing is at the center of CUP’s approach to both social engagement and art-making. According to our research, interviewing reveals hidden layers of meaning to learners, offers opportunities to visualize personal connections, and provides a means to critically and collaboratively create artwork.

INTRODUCTION: despite some improvement in provision of safe drinking water, proper sanitation and hygiene promotion, cholera still remains a major public health problem in Malawi with outbreaks occurring almost every year since 1998. In response to 2014/2015 cholera outbreak, ministry of health and partners made a decision to assess the feasibility and acceptability of conducting a mass oral cholera vaccine (OCV) as an additional public health measure. This paper highlights the burden of the 2014/15 cholera outbreak, successes and challenges of OCV campaign conducted in March and April 2015. METHODS: this was a documentation of the first OCV campaign conducted in Malawi. The campaign targeted over 160,000 people aged one year or more living in 19 camps of people internally displaced by floods and their surrounding communities in Nsanje district. It was a reactive campaign as additional measure to improved water, sanitation and hygiene in response to the laboratory confirmed cholera outbreak. RESULTS: during the first round of the OCV campaign conducted from 30 March to 4 April 2015, a total of 156,592 (97.6%) people out of 160,482 target population received OCV. During the second round (20 to 25 April 2015), a total of 137,629 (85.8%) people received OCV. Of these, 108,247 (67.6%) people received their second dose while 29,382 (18.3%) were their first dose. Of the 134,836 people with known gender and sex who received 1 or 2 doses, 54.4% were females and over half (55.4%) were children under the age of 15 years. Among 108,237 people who received 2 doses (fully immunized), 54.4% were females and 51.9% were children under 15 years of age. No severe adverse event following immunization was reported. The main reason for non-vaccination or failure to take the 2 doses was absence during the period of the campaign. CONCLUSION: this documentation has demonstrated that it was feasible, acceptable by the community to conduct a large-scale mass OCV campaign in Malawi within five weeks. Of 320,000 OCV doses received, Malawi managed to administer at least 294,221 (91.9%) of the doses. OCV could therefore be considered to be introduced as additional measure in cholera hot spot areas in Malawi.

Turbulent flow over a water-worked gravel bed (WGB) was investigated using the double-averaging methodology (DAM). The flow measurements were carried out by the particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique. The double-averaged (DA) turbulent characteristics (DA Turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) components, form-induced TKE components, DA TKE fluxes, form-induced TKE fluxes, DA TKE budget) were analyzed for the WGB. To understand the effect of changed bed topography on the turbulent characteristics, the flow measurements were carried out over a screeded gravel bed (SGB), keeping the flow Froude number same as in case of WGB. Owing to water work, the bed topography of WGB was dissimilar to that of SGB, resulting in higher roughness size for the former than that for the latter. Comparative study of the DA turbulent characteristics of both the beds infers that especially in the near-bed flow zone, the flow parameters of the WGB are attaining higher values than those of the SGB. However, they are almost alike for both the beds in the flow outer layer.

Value engineering is an organized creative technique to analyze the function of a product or a system for achieving the required function at minimum cost along with required performance, reliability, maintainability, appearance, safety etc. Value engineering has been proved to be a very effective tool of materials management and cost reduction in modern industry. It proceeds with the analysis of the value or the utility of the product and then to investigate as to how the value can be improved or if the part can be eliminated or replaced by any other part of the same value (utility) or lesser cost. The paper presents the application of value engineering to minimize rework in ship construction and reduction of cycle time of a project.

Teledermatology is essentially “dermatology at a distance”, using one of many communication technologies to expand the reach of a dermatologist to those in need of their specialized knowledge. Most international teledermatology is store-and-forward in nature, a method in which images are stored on a computer and then transmitted electronically to a consulting dermatologist. This system is more convenient and less costly than real-time teledermatology. This review will focus on several of the store-and-forward teledermatology systems being developed and utilized successfully internationally. This discussion of “who” is practicing teledermatology is not comprehensive, but attempts to show some of the breadth of teledermatology practice around the world, including government national health plans, commercial endeavors, and charitable work by individuals and institutions. The goal in many instances is to provide better health outcomes through increased access, efficiency, and/or cost-effectiveness. More studies ultimately need to be conducted to develop a more comprehensive and sustainable model for teledermatology.

Laboratory liver tests are broadly defined as tests useful in the evaluation and treatment of patients with hepatic dysfunction. The liver carries out metabolism of carbohydrate, protein and fats. Some of the enzymes and the end products of the metabolic pathway which are very sensitive for the abnormality occurred may be considered as biochemical marker of liver dysfunction. Some of the biochemical markers such as serum bilirubin, alanine amino transferase, aspartate amino transferase, ratio of aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase, gamma glutamyl transferase, 5´ nucleotidase, ceruloplasmin, alpha-fetoprotein are considered in this article. An isolated or conjugated alteration of biochemical markers of liver damage in patients can challenge the clinicians during the diagnosis of disease related to liver directly or with some other organs. The term “liver chemistry tests” is a frequently used but poorly defined phrase that encompasses the numerous serum chemistries that can be assayed to assess hepatic function and/or injury.