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Sub‐estrus buffaloes do not exhibit estrus signs despite being cyclic contributing to extended service periods and inter‐calving intervals causing significant economic loss. The present study described the effect of synthetic prostaglandin (PGF2α) on estrus behaviour, follicular and luteal morphometry, and serum estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) profile in sub‐estrus buffaloes during the non‐breeding season. The incidence of sub‐estrus was 38.4% during the non‐breeding season. The sub‐estrus buffaloes (n = 33) were divided into two groups, viz., Control (n = 16) and PGF2α treatment (Inj. Cloprostenol 500 μg, i.m., n = 17). Estrus induction response was significantly greater in the treatment (100 vs. 18.75%, p <.001), and a relatively greater proportion of animals conceived in the treatment group (29.41 vs. 6.25%, p =.08). The time elapsed to induction of estrus and insemination following treatment was significantly lower in the treatment group than control. A significant increment in the follicle diameter (9.72 ± 0.45 vs. 13.00 ± 0.45 mm, P <.0001) and serum estradiol (E2) concentration (66.01 ± 11.92 vs. 104.9 ± 13.21 pg/mL, p =.003) observed at the post‐treatment period in the PGF2α treatment group. At the same time, CL diameter was reduced significantly at a higher regression rate in the PGF2α treated buffaloes than those of control. Of the responded buffaloes, only 30% showed high‐intensity estrus attributed to the expulsion of cervico‐vaginal mucus (CVM), uterine tonicity, micturition, and mounting response by a teaser bull. From this study, it can be concluded that the administration of PGF2α could induce estrus in the sub‐estrus buffaloes during the non‐breeding season. Behavioural changes, along with sonographic observation of POF, regressing CL, and serum E2 and P4 concentration would be useful to determine the right time of insemination in sub‐estrus buffaloes during non‐breeding season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposed novel polishing method, hybrid electrochemical magnetorheological (H-ECMR) finishing, combines electrochemical reactions and mechanical abrasion on the workpiece surface to reduce finishing time. Moreover, H-ECMR finishing on the biomaterial surface produces a uniform, thick passive oxide layer to improve corrosion resistance. Herein, the electrolytic solution facilitates the chemical reaction and acts as a carrier medium for carbonyl iron particles (CIPs) in magnetorheological (MR) fluid. The synergic action of the two processes reduces the surface finishing time, which takes longer in the case of the conventional magnetorheological Finishing (MRF) process, as observed experimentally. The developed H-ECMR finishing process employs an electromagnet, maneuvering in situ surface quality variation by altering the magnetic field during finishing. The magnetic shield material (i.e., mu-metal) confines the bottom of the electromagnet core to restrict the magnetic field's leakage and provide a uniform and concentrated magnetic field at the polishing spot. The effectiveness of the H-ECMR process is evaluated based on various surface roughness parameters (i.e., average surface roughness (Ra), skewness (Rsk), and kurtosis (Rku)) and compared with the MRF process. A 96.4% reduction in Ra value is attained in the H-ECMR polishing compared to 49.6% in MRF for identical polishing time. Furthermore, an analytical model is developed to evaluate the final Ra attained from the developed H-ECMR polishing process and agrees well with the experimental results. The impact of different process parameters on surface roughness values is also analyzed. The electrochemical reaction forms a thick and unvarying passive layer on the Ti-6Al-4V surface as layer thickness increases to 78 nm from 8 nm. A case study on the femoral head of the Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) for enhancement in the surface roughness and biocompatibility is performed through the developed H-ECMR polishing. The Ra value is decreased to 21.3 nm from 326 nm on the femoral head surface through the contour-parallel radial toolpath strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oestrus is defined as a period when a female animal exhibits characteristic sexual behaviour in the presence of a mature male. Oestrous manifestation in dairy animals is due to the oestrogen (E2) effect on the central nervous system (CNS). It is a critical issue to be considered on a priority basis. Inefficient oestrous detection reduces the fertility status of the herd. The primary and most reliable indicator of oestrus is standing to be mounted by a bull or another female herd mate, signalling receptivity and the pre‐ovulatory state in dairy cattle. Oestrous detection is primarily a management challenge requiring skill and vigilance. To improve the efficiency of oestrous detection in dairy cattle, visual observation is one of the best methods if done three times a day; however, heat detection aids, if combined, give better results. However, techniques like using teaser bulls, tail painting, chin ball markers, ultrasound (USG) examination, hormonal analysis and examination of cervicovaginal mucus (CVM) improve oestrous detection efficiency. Moreover, the changes in production systems have reduced the expression of oestrous behaviour among cows, due to higher oestrogen (E2) metabolism. Therefore, automated systems, such as pedometers, accelerometers and acoustic sensors like infrared thermography (IRT) and image processing, have significantly enhanced reproductive performance by facilitating oestrous detection and optimizing insemination schedules. From this review, we would conclude that oestrous detection alone contributes considerably to the reproductive status of the herd; therefore, applying different methods of oestrous detection reduces the incidence of missed oestrus and improves the fertility status of the herd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fixation plates are crucial to ensure the fracture site remains stable and prevent any movement that could widen the gap between broken bones, ultimately promoting the healing process of the bone. Topological optimization is a solution to increase the strength-to-mass ratio and produce lightweight metal implants with less stiffness to reduce stress shielding. Laser-Directed Energy Deposition (L-DED) is a 3d printing method to fabricate objects with near-net shapes. However, the manufactured implants' surface quality is still a major issue and further leads to an increase in the release of metal ions, which can cause inflammation and infection and lead to screw loosening. The current study aims to design and develop the topologically optimized fixation plate to reduce stress shielding further fabricated and polished by the L-DED and H-ECMR super polishing method, respectively. Herein, the H-ECMR super finishing method reduced the Ra value of the manufactured parts to 29.26 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid Chemo-Magnetorheological Finishing (HC-MRF) process is an advanced surface finishing process that utilizes the interaction of Magnetorheological Finishing and chemical etching to reduce the surface roughness of the cemented carbide cutting tools. Herein, Murakami's reagent is used as a Magnetorheological (MR) fluid carrier medium to trigger chemical etching and mechanical abrasion. The synergic action reduces surface finishing time and increases process efficiency. However, optimizing process parameters during the HC-MRF process is required to improve process efficiency further. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is used to develop the regression model to study the impact of process parameters (i.e. spindle speed, feed rate, and vol.% of Murakami's reagent in MR fluid) on the surface quality. Three surface roughness parameters, namely average surface roughness (Ra), skewness (Rsk), and kurtosis (Rk), are opted to analyze the surface characteristics of the polished surface. Furthermore, optimization is performed with the help of a Genetic Algorithm (GA) to achieve the best surface quality following input parameters. The surface roughness (Ra) is reduced by 88.97% as the initial Ra value decreases to 34.50 nm from 312.87 nm after the HC-MRF process. The results obtained from RSM and GA are in good agreement with the experimental results. The optimum value of feed rate, spindle speed, and vol.% of Murakami's reagent in the MR fluid while achieving minimum surface roughness value (i.e. 31.26 nm) through GA are 1.2 mm/min, 23 rpm, and 53%, respectively. The measured kurtosis (Rku) value of 0.64 at the optimum process parameter condition represents flat peaks on the surface roughness irregularities of the polished surface. Similarly, a skewness (Rsk) value of 1.46 signifies that the number of peaks is higher than the number of valleys on the polished surface. Furthermore, it is observed that the Vol.% of Murakami's reagent in MR fluid is the most significant process parameter compared with other parameters among all responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexed semen facilitates additional female calf production for the expansion of a herd at a faster rate and also curtails the surplus production of unwanted male calves. A study was conducted to evaluate the performance of sexed semen in indigenous Tharparkar cows based on 114 artificial inseminations (AI) performed at natural oestrus using two protocols i.e., single AI (n = 48) and double AI (n = 66). Overall, the first service conception rate (CR) was significantly higher in double (53.0%) than single (33.3%) AI protocol. The odds ratio of conception rate in double AI was 2.26 (χ2 = 4.4, df = 1, p =.04) with respect to single AI. The time that elapsed since the detection of oestrus to insemination was also analysed. In a single AI protocol, the CR was higher (p <.05) at 16 h (54.6%) than insemination at 8 h (27.0%) following the onset of oestrus. Yet, the CR using double AI protocol did not differ (p =.73) significantly when AIs were performed either at 8 h and 24 h (51.9%) or 16 h and 24 h (57.1%) post onset of oestrus. Besides, like the single AI protocol, the parity of the animals also influenced the CR, being higher in heifers (n = 22) than those of parous (n = 92) cows (72.73 vs. 40.43%, χ2 = 7.48, df = 1, p =.006) in the present study. The odds ratio of conception in heifers was 3.93 with respect to parous cows. Overall, the birth of female calf was 91.7%. In conclusion, the present study indicates a future promise of the sexed semen for the production of more female offspring from Tharparkar cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-estrus is a condition in buffalo in which the ovarian picture and uterine changes suggest the presence of estrus and cyclicity, despite the absence of behavioural symptoms. The current study describes the effects of ultrasonography (USG)-aided estrus detection on submission and conception rate in sub-estrus Murrah buffaloes after a single shot of prostaglandin (PG) treatment. The study included 67 sub-estrus buffaloes between 2020 and 2021. The teaser bull was used to detect estrus, and the diameter of the pre-ovulatory follicle (POF) and corpus luteum (CL) was measured using transrectal USG. A single PG treatment induced behavioural estrus in 43.28% buffaloes (Group 1), while estrus was detected in 35.8% of sub-estrus buffaloes using sonographic examination (Group 2) that were otherwise remained undetected. The overall submission rate was 79.1 percent. The first-service conception rate was higher in Group 1 (55.2 vs. 33.3%), compared to Group 2. The CL diameter at pre-treatment was significantly larger in Group 1 buffaloes than in Group 2 buffaloes. However, the POF diameter was comparable during induced estrus. Furthermore, the time elapsed between induction and breeding in both groups was comparable. Furthermore, the CL size at pre-treatment, POF size at estrus, and time elapsed to breeding had no effect on conception. Thus, the use of USG improves the submission rate in PG administered sub-estrus buffaloes, resulting in a 45.3% overall first service conception rate. However, breeding time must be optimised in order to improve the conception rate and efficient reproductive management in sub-estrus buffaloes in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, Additive Manufacturing (AM), i.e., the 3D Printing process, is one of the advanced manufacturing processes for making a complex geometry with high accuracy. Additive manufacturing processes are widely used worldwide and are the fastest-growing industrial technology, as any complex structure with minimal wastage of materials can be fabricated. However, poor surface quality is a major limitation of additive manufacturing due to surface defects, including unmelted powder particles, balling, porosity, etc. Laser polishing utilizes remelting and reflowing of the surface irregularities under the influence of a high-power laser source to efficiently improve the surface quality of the additively manufactured parts. Herein, a thin layer of the surface is molten, and because of surface tension, molten material flows from the peak into the valley with no loss of material from the surface. Laser polishing is a CNC-operated surface finishing method, hence an appropriate toolpath strategy is required to produce uniform surface quality on the polished surface. In the present work, the impact of various toolpath strategies, i.e., raster, offset flat, contour parallel, Hilbert, Peano, and spiral, over the final surface quality is analyzed during the laser polishing. The maximum 92% reduction in average surface roughness with uniform surface quality is observed with a fractal-based toolpath strategy, i.e., Peano with improved surface hardness. Moreover, laser polishing is capable of reducing all surface defects from the fabricated surface, as observed from the scanning electron microscope. Furthermore, an insignificant change in the surface composition of the material is observed after the laser polishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus infection leads to a variety of Cardiovascular manifestations. Pericardial effusion, systemic hypertension, dilated cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, pulmonary hypertension, primary as well as secondary cardiac tumours etc are seen in about 30% of patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection and the incidence has increased with improved longevity. Coronary artery disease ranging from subclinical atherosclerosis to coronary plaque rupture causing acute coronary syndrome have been documented. The main underlying pathophysiological process is a state of perennial inflammation which leads to initiation and acceleration of coronary atherosclerosis. To study the coronary angiographic Objective : profile in HIV patients. HIV patients undergoing Methodology : coronary angiography were assessed clinically, biochemically and finally by coronary angiography to see the coronary pathoanatomy. Results : Of the 37 HIV patients studied between Jan to Dec 2019, the mean age was 47 years.(19-66 years).Two thirds were males and the most common traditional risk factor was dyslipidemia followed by hypertension. Majority of patients were already on ART and the CD 4 counts ranged from 67-366 cells/cumm. Anterior wall MI and unstable angina were the most common clinical presentations. Coronary angiography revealed diffuse disease (both insignificant and significant) of the left anterior descending artery as the most common pattern of angiographic involvement. Conclusion : Coronary artery disease both subclinical and syndromic occurs with increased frequency in HIV patients. The dominant angiographic presentation correlates with the clinical presentation and in our study, left anterior descending artery was more frequently diseased as compared to other coronary vessels. The most common angiographic pattern consistent with coronaries was the presence of ectasia and diffuse disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's manufacturing sector, it is required to manufacture products that have an exceptionally low tolerance. The desired high precision (or low tolerance) can be obtained through various finishing processes, which consist of bonded (honing, grinding, lapping, etc.) or unbonded (abrasive flow finishing) forms of the tool. An unbonded form of tool is more reliable and beneficial because it helps to achieve a highly polished surface without affecting the material topography of the product. The literature survey shows that an effective unbonded form of finishing tool can be produced through the assistance of Magnetorheological (MR) Fluid, as it has in-situ control on its rheological properties. The MR fluid is mainly composed of abrasives and ferromagnetic powder mixed in a viscoplastic base medium. The unbonded multipoint cutting tool is generated during the finishing operations, which produces a mirror-like polished surface. Several MR fluid-assisted finishing processes have been developed in the last few decades. This article explores the evolution of MR fluid-assisted finishing processes, along with their development, applications, influencing process parameters, the composition of MR fluids, and governing analytical models. The key capabilities and limitations of different MR fluid-assisted finishing processes are also discussed, and a comparison is made to provide an overview at a glance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is recently used to manufacture biomedical implants as the customized fabrication of the desired complex shapes is easily achievable with reduced manufacturing time and material waste. However, the poor surface quality of additively manufactured products is a major concern over biomaterials' functionality. Magnetorheological Fluid Assisted Finishing (MFAF) process is an advanced surface finishing process used to improve the workpiece surface quality without altering surface topography. Selective Laser Melting (SLM) is utilized in the presented study to fabricate biomaterials using SS316L powder, and surface quality is further enhanced through the MFAF process. However, average surface roughness (R a) only delivers the details regarding the average altitude of peaks and depth of valleys from the central line. Therefore, kurtosis (R k u) and skewness (R sk) analysis of the polished surface are also carried out to determine detailed surface characteristics. The bio-tribology analysis of the polished surface of the AM implant determines its sustainability inside the human body. Hence, a wear test utilizing the pin-on-disc process is performed on the finished surface to determine the efficiency of the polishing process during tribological contact of the biomaterials with the bone. Further, the improved surface roughness parameters (R a , R k u , and R sk) after the MFAF of AM implant's surface are also investigated with an optical profilometer and scanning electron microscope. The MFAF process produced a highly polished surface on the biomaterial and a final R a value of 32.46 nm is attained after polishing from its initial value of 8.32 μm with a decrease in wear rate (i.e., from 9.86 × 10−5 mm3/min to 0.46 × 10−5 mm3/min). The value of kurtosis less than three (i.e., 0.79) indicates that the flat peaks are generated on the surface irregularities after MFAF. Similarly, the negative skewness (i.e., Rsk = −0.28) represents that the number of peaks is less than the valleys. It indicates that the chances of wear out of the surface irregularities from the workpiece on their tribological contact are very low. • Surface characteristics improvement of Selective Laser Melted biomaterial (SS316L). • A mirror-like polished surface is achieved through Magnetorheological Fluid Assisted Finishing process on the biomaterial. • A final R a value of 32.46 nm is attained after polishing from its initial value of 8.32 μm. • The wear rate is reduced on the polished surface from 9.86 × 10−5 mm3/min to 0.47 × 10−5 mm3/min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]