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Chronic otitis media is defined as the chronic inflammation of the mucoperiosteal lining lining of the middle ear cleft which presents with recurrent ear discharge through tympanic membrane perforation. The study was planned to evaluate the patency of the aditus ad antrum in cases of chronic otitis media mucosal type, and its correlation with various direct and indirect indicators of blocked aditus. The prospective longitudinal study was conducted on 100 patients with chronic otitis media mucosal type. The commonest complaint of patients was ear discharge (100%) followed by hearing impairment in 72% patients.Tympanoplasty with antrotomy was performed. The patency and dimensions of the aditus ad antrum were assessed by saline water test. In 41% cases saline test showed blockade, on further drilling patency achieved in 27 cases with minimal drilling and dissection of mucosa with or without fibrotic mucosal bands. In rest 14 cases widening of aditus and atticotomy was required to achieve patency. Out of these nine were having associated tympanosclerosis and five were having edematous mucosa. Ossicular necrosis was seen on 18 cases. Presence of myringosclerosis and polypoidal edematous mucosa increases the probability of an obstructed aditus ad antrum. Mastoid antrostomy and water test for patency can be performed without additional cost and risk to the patient in minimal time and can be considered as the surest indicator of patency of aditus ad antrum.

The spotted pod borer, Maruca vitrata (Fab.) causes significant damage by attacking pods in cowpea. The aim of this study was to evaluate the field efficacy of new generation insecticides against spotted pod borer. Field experiments were conducted at Regional Research Station, Nasik (Maharashtra) on cowpea during Kharif ,2009 and 2010. Among the new generations tested, flubendiamide 20 WG @ 1.0 g/l (4.79%) was observed significantly higher, in reducing the damage caused by the spotted pod borer in cowpea, on number basis followed by indoxacarb 14.5SC @ 0.5 ml/l (7.99%) and spinosad 45 SC @ 0.3 ml/l (8.70%). The highest marketable yield (91.49 q/ha) was recorded in flubendiamide 20 WG @ 1.0 g/l followed by spinosad 45 SC @ 0.3 ml/l (91.39 q/ha). However, the maximum cost benefit ratio (1:3.2) was recorded in thiodicarb 75 WP @ 1 g/l followed by indoxacarb 14.5 SC @ 0.5 ml/l (1:2.3), spinosad 45 SC @ 0.3 ml/l (1:1.9), emamectin benzoate 5 SG @ 0.5 g/l (1:1.3), flubendiamide 20 WG @ 1.0 g/l (1:1.1). On the basis of efficacy, flubendiamide 20 WG @ 1.0 g/l was observed to be very effective against Maruca vitratain cowpea followed by indoxacarb 14.5 SC @ 0.5 ml/l and spinosad 45 SC @ 0.3 ml/l.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) significantly affect the quality of life (QoL) of patients. The study was conducted in CRS patients who were treated with functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) after failure of medical treatment to analyze clinical outcome using prospectively collected data through a symptom-based rhinosinusitis outcome measure, the Sino-nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22). The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the QoL in patients of chronic rhinosinusitis pre-operative and after FESS by SNOT-22. The prospective study was conducted on 40 patients of chronic rhinosinusitis with or without nasal polyposis. Demographic, clinical, diagnostic nasal endoscopy and radiological findings were recorded. Visual analogue scoring and SNOT-22 questionnaire scoring were done preoperatively and at 3rd and 6th months post-operatively. These scores were compared and a value of p

In this paper focuses on realizing alternate power supply sources to the Academic buildings located at Manipal, Karnataka. India, and analyzing the possible combination of the Hybrid Energy sources. The main emphasis is on steering the Optimization and Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis of the Hybrid Energy sources. The Hybrid Energy System optimization and feasibility study are carried out using HOMER Software and the results are verified with Linear Programming. The case study is conducted with the involvement of PV, Wind turbine and Diesel Generator (DG) along with the battery bank. Further, the DG was integrated with the renewable energy sources to smoothen the power circulation and enhance the reliability issues. The realistic climate data obtained from the NASA website for the location Manipal (13.347° N, 74.75° E) and estimates the solar and wind power using the models developedKeywords: PV, Wind, LCC, Optimization, HOMERJEL Classifications: Q21, Q40, Q41DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.7890

Digital PLL is a fundamental construction block for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) systems and several other wireless technologies like applications of Internet of Things (IoT), clock generation, recovery, and reconstruction of data. It is also used for ultra-low power operations and numerous digital signal processing techniques. The proposed Digital PLL is base on the loop filter that is observer-controlled, which helps to filter out entire additive noise and the output is improved in the terms of phase noise and transient time response. The main drawback of the previous PLLs is current transreceiver noise that modifies the overall phase noise output of the system is overcome by the new technique known as oscillator pulling technique. Here the output can be separate out without modifying the general performance of phase noise. The observer filter is fundamentally a second-order time-varying system having fundamental gain value. The proposed Digital PLL has been simulated using 0.35 μm CMOS technology. The proposed DPLL is having lesser phase jitter, high operating frequency, and less complexity of the circuit. The designed digital phase-locked loop is 1.5–3 times faster that of the conventional one.

Children with nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO) have different therapeutic approach from that used in adults. Dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) is the most common procedure in adults but it is less frequently carried out in children, indicated in children which are refractory to probing. The objective of the study is to report a series of 30 cases of paediatric epiphora who underwent endoscopic endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy surgery, for primary obstruction of nasolacrimal duct and results, outcomes of success are evaluated. This is a prospective and non-comparative review of 30 cases of epiphora aged between 3 and 9 years from April 2018 to March 2019. The main outcome measures assessed were determined by the resolution of symptoms and the patency of the lacrimal anatomy confirmed by syringing or irrigating the nasolacrimal duct. Secondary outcomes included the presence of such complications as bleeding, scarring, and/or persistent epiphora and infection. In our study 30 patients underwent unilateral DCR surgery in NLDO. Out of 30 patients males were 17 and females were 13. The overall success rate of endoscopic DCR was 90%, and failed cases were mainly due to pre-saccal obstruction. No major complications were reported, minor complications occurred in about 60% of cases. Analysis of the results indicated that EDCR was safe and an effective therapeutic approach for treating nasolacrimal duct obstruction in pediatric age group patients having NLDO. It’s considered as an alternative procedure to external dacryocystorhinostomy after a failed conservative treatment.

The parotid gland is the largest salivary gland in the body. Pleomorphic adenomas (PA) are most common benign tumors of parotid gland. If left untreated, they can gradually attain the size which can weigh several kilograms. This paper highlights a case series of 15 cases diagnosed as giant pleomorphic adenoma arising in the parotid gland along with their management. A hospital based, observational study of 15 patients of PA of the parotid gland, > 10 cm in its widest dimension considered as giant, done at tertiary care ENT hospital over period of 9 years. The age of the patients ranged from 30 to 81 years with mean age 50.33 ± 15.30 years. There were 5(33.33%) males and 10(66.67%) females. The time duration of having tumor ranged from 5 to 20 years with mean duration of 10.4 ± 4.17 years and the largest tumor was 25 cm in its largest diameter. Mean weight of tumors was 2.72 ± 0.52 kg. One out of fifteen cases was detected as malignant in nature. All cases were treated by surgical excision without any complications. Pleomorphic adenoma of parotid gland can assume a giant proportion when timely surgical intervention is not done. We can build up confidence and hope for life in patients after complete surgical excision of giant PA.

Background: This work presents results based on realistic data as inputs obtained from the NASA surface metrology consisting a PV-Wind hybrid system. Methods: This system includes PV and wind subsystems, load and a hybrid system. The system included a 3.6kW PV array and a 3.2kW wind turbine and collected realistic data from January to December 2015 from the NASA website at Manipal location (INDIA) to calculate the solar and wind power. The study simulated daily and monthly data, and validated the simulation results for the physical system. Two Boost converters transfer a maximum power of Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS) and Photo Voltaic (PV) system to DC link. These converters are operated based on Perturb and Observed (P & O) MPPT algorithm and with a change in duty cycle. Based on PQ control strategy, the single-phase voltage source inverter supplies power to the grid and maintains the DC link voltage 400V

Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis L.) is continually being improved to increase sustainability of production, enhance nutritional quality, and reduce waste. Development of resistances against abiotic (high temperature and rainfall) and biotic stresses (diseases and insects) is necessary for this purpose. Breeding plays a vital role in addressing these issues through development of superior varieties/hybrids. Globally, more than 20,000 accessions of C-genome taxa of B. oleracea are maintained in over 100 gene banks; European countries host the world’s largest and most diverse collections. The favorable genes and quantitative trait loci (QTL) for various traits of economic importance are scattered across cultivated types, breeding lines, and wild populations (i.e., primary, secondary, tertiary, and other gene pools) of B. oleracea, with efforts being made to integrate two- or multitiered breeding approaches for broadening the genetic base and introgressing genes and QTL of resistance, ...

Kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. virdis L.), a very versatile leafy vegetable, is typically a temperate cole crop and is an excellent source of health benefiting phyto-nutrients. A unique tropical kale genotype, first of its kind in the world, has been identified at ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Christened as ‘VRKALE-1’, it bolts and flowers under North Indian plain conditions (11.8–23.5 °C temperature) and doesn’t require vernalization (low temperature

Background-Otitis media with effusion leads to hearing loss which may significantly compromise the cognitive, linguistic and emotional development of children. It usually goes undiagnosed because the children do not have any complaints and the next of kin do not notice any symptoms such as hearing loss. Methods-411 children of the age group 5-8 years from various camps conducted in sub-urban areas of Ajmer, Rajasthan were subjected to complete ear, nose throat examination in the period of June 2018 to December 2018.27 children were excluded on the basis of exclusion criteria and 384 children were then considered for the study. Hearing assessment was done by tuning fork test & those who had a hearing loss were than subjected to pure tone audiogram and tympanometry at our center. An interview was done with the parents of these children to acquire information about the academic and social behavior of these children with the help of a questionnaire. Results- 89 (21.30%) children were suffering from otitis media with effusion and 26 (6.77%) children had Eustachian tube blockage which is a precursor to otitis media with effusion. Almost all of these children were poor in social and academic performance. Conclusion- The high incidence of undiagnosed otitis media with effusion warrants an awareness program for parents and teachers and also if possible a regular screening program for children. Key words: otitis media with effusion, serous otitis media, conductive hearing loss.

Bundelkhand region of central India, a major drought affected area of the country is associated to high level of rural to urban migration. The present study was conducted to analyze the socio-economic characteristics of the migrants and to examine the key factors triggering migration decision of agriculture practicing households. The region was facing drought for the fourth consecutive period which had left the population, mainly dependent on agricultural income, out of option than migration. The analysis of socio-economic profile of migrants showed that majority of the migrants were between the age group of 20–39 (70.1%) and the education level was secondary (54.8%). The population of female migrants was comparatively low, as many of them followed their family to the migrating place after marriage. Majority of the migrants (81.73%) were engaged in unskilled manual labour activities like construction works in destination cities. The various factors identified triggering migration decision were associated to livelihood security, climatic, agricultural, institutional and socio-cultural factors.

BACKGROUND Treacher Collins Syndrome is a congenital disorder of craniofacial development of the head and neck region. This is a case report of a patient who presented in our outpatient department with complaints of severe hearing loss, deformed face, external ears and malaligned teeth. With further evaluation, a diagnosis of Treacher Collins syndrome was made.

Electron beam welding, though considered a sophisticated welding process, still requires the operator to first carry out several trial welds to find the right combination of welding parameters based on intuition and experience. This archaic method is often unreliable, leading to unproductive manufacturing lead time, man hours, quality control tests, and material wastage. The current study eliminates this “trial and error” method by providing a reliable model which can predict the right combination of weld parameters to achieve a high-quality weld. Beads on plate welds were carried out on AISI 304 stainless steel plates using a low-kilovolt electron beam welding (EBW) machine. A model that can predict weld bead geometry and provide optimized output for minimum weld area condition without compromising on weld quality was developed. Experimental data were collected as per full factorial design of experiments, and the levels for each input parameter were established through pilot experiments. A multivariate regression analysis has been conducted to establish a relationship between four weld input parameters (three levels each) and four weld bead responses. Response surface methodology (RSM) has been used to study the interrelationship between input parameters and their effect on each response variable. Further, minimization of weld cross-sectional area was done using genetic algorithm for maximum penetration and minimum weld area condition. The optimized mathematical model convincingly establishes that the focusing current is a significant input parameter with very high influence over the weld bead geometry. Extensive material characterization and mechanical tests have been carried out to validate the regressed input-output relationship and the optimized mathematical model.

This chapter describes various existing real-life applications and case studies of opportunistic networks. Opportunistic networks are also applied to interdisciplinary projects focusing on wildlife monitoring to perform novel studies of animal migrations and interspecies interactions. Opportunistic networks represent an easy-to-deploy and extremely cheap solution to bring Internet connectivity to rural areas. Opportunistic networks are formed out of portable mobile devices carried by people without the assumption of any pre-existing network infrastructure. To provide distributed task execution in opportunistic pervasive networks, the Social-Aware Mobile and Pervasive Computing (SCAMPI) framework has been proposed. SCAMPI is an autonomous and infrastructure-less system that forms a network using its mobile devices automatically. An opportunistic network is an evolution of the classic mobile ad hoc network (MANET). A MANET is characterized by infrastructure-less, autonomous, and mobile nodes.

Chronic suppurative otitis media is managed by tympanomastoid surgery often requires mastoid drilling. Sometimes patients develop sensorineural hearing loss after middle ear surgery. Objective of the study was to compare pre and post operative bone conduction thresholds after middle ear surgeries. The study was conducted on 90 patients who had undergone middle ear surgeries, 30 patients of tympanoplasty (group I), modified intact canal wall mastoidectomy and tympanoplasty type-I (group II) and modified radical mastoidectomy (group III) each ware included. Demographic and clinical data were reviewed. Duration of surgery, ossicular and middle ear status and drilling time noted. Pre operative and post operative (after 3–4 months) bone conduction thresholds were compared statistically. A value of p

Parotid tumours are not uncommon. The management is surgical for benign and malignant parotid neoplasm. Due to the location of parotid gland and its intricate relationship with facial nerve, cosmetic and functional outcomes after parotid surgery are extremely important. Objectives of the study were to analyse facial nerve functions with emphasis on the quality of life of patients undergoing surgery for parotid neoplasm. A prospective study was conducted on patients presented with parotid neoplasm and undergone parotid surgery. Patient with malignant neoplasm were excluded. 30 patients with benign parotid neoplasm in final histopathology were included in the study. Post operative assessment of facial nerve was done using postparotidectomy facial nerve grading system. Symptom-specific QOL was assessed with the parotidectomy outcome inventory-8. Aesthetic outcome was evaluated with an ordinal scale. Posterior belly of digastric muscle and tragal pointer were the commonest landmark used for facial nerve identification. Temporary facial nerve dysfunction was present in six (20%) patients with marginal mandibular branch most commonly involved. 96% of the female patients and 91% of the male patients rated the cosmetic result as good or very good. A statistically significant difference is noted between superficial parotidectomy and total Parotidectomy for cosmetic outcome and sensory impairment. We noted that changed appearance due to resection of the parotid gland and scar and sensory impairment in the area affect the quality of life of patients and such affect are more after total conservative parotidectomy.

Uttarakhand State of India suffered a widespread devastation in June 2013 due to floods caused by excessive rain in the upper reaches of the Himalaya, glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) and landslides. Restoration process in this mountainous State calls for scientifically sound planning so that the vulnerabilities and risks to such natural hazards are minimised and developmental processes are sustainable in long run. Towards this, an understanding of the patterns and major controls of damage of the recent disaster is a key requirement which can be achieved only if the primary data on locations and types of damage along with other local site conditions are available. Considering widespread damage, tough nature of terrain and the need for collecting the primary data on damage in shortest possible time, crowdsourcing approach was considered to be the most viable solution. Accordingly, a multiinstitutional initiative called "Map the Neighbourhood in Uttarakhand" (MANU) was conceptualised with the main objective of collecting primary data on damage through participation of local people (mainly students) using state-of-art tools and technologies of data collection and a mechanism to integrate the same with Bhuvan geo-portal (www.bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in) in near real-time. Geospatial analysis of crowd-sourced points with different themes has been carried out subsequently for providing inputs to restoration planning and for future developmental activities. The present paper highlights the capacity building aspect in enabling the data collection process using crowdsourcing technology.

Background: Across the history of radiotherapy, wedges are generally used to modify the shape of isodose lines to achieve desired clinical dose coverage to the target and to reduce the hot spot as well. Aim: The main aim of this study was to analyse and compare the dosimetric properties of Varian’s physical and enhanced dynamic wedges, and their dosimetric impact on radiotherapy plan (3D-Conformal). Materials and Methods: All plans were generated and evaluated in Varian’s eclipse planning system. For comparing the isodose line alteration, the plans were prepared in water phantom with field of size 10 cmx 10 cm. Wedges of angle 15°, 30°, 45° and 60° were used for generating isodose lines in the current study. All wedge factors were measured in water phantom using FC65 farmer type chamber. Discussion: In the current study, the dosimetric characteristics of EDW and PW were analyzed and compared. For analyzing the impact of EDW and PW, 22 patients were taken into consideration, and 50 Gy dose was prescribed to PTV in 25 fractions. Conclusion: The analysis of EDW and PW shows slightly different dosimetric features. EDW gives better target’s coverage, less hyper dose and comparatively less MUs as compare to PW. Hence the use EDW in 3D-conformal radiotherapy plan is a prudent practice.

Background : Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one the most common primary malignancy of the liver and represents the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Incidence rates are highest in East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. A number of evidence suggests a possible role of interleukin-6 (IL-6), α-Fetoprotein (AFP) and Des-γ-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The high DCP may be related to increase tumour behaviour, such as the presence of vascular invasion and intrahepatic metastasis of HCC cells. Patients and Methods : We studied IL-6, AFP and DCP in patients with HCC or in healthy controls. AFP was measured by chemiluminescent immunoassay; Serum IL-6 and DCP were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in 30 patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma and 30 normal subjects. Results : IL-6, AFP and DCP were found high in the serum of patients initially diagnosed with HCC (18±9.8), (315.99±594.62) and (26.15±5.01) respectively compared with healthy subjects (4.29±2.10), (3.13±1.27) and (4.25±1.22). A significant positive correlation was found between mean levels of IL- 6 & AFP in HCC (P < 0.05), Combination of IL-6, AFP and DCP improved the sensitivity in diagnosing HCC or predicting future HCC development. Conclusions : IL-6, DCP along with AFP could be considered a promising tumor marker for HCC. DCP is a well recognized tumor marker for the screening and diagnosis of HCC. In particular, the diagnostic value of the test is significantly increased when combined with AFP.

Spiny coriander (Eryngium foetidum L.) is a leafy spice herb of tropical regions of world (America, South Asia, Pacific Islands, South Europe and Africa) which is used extensively for garnishing, marinating, flavouring and seasoning of foods. It is also used as an ethno-medicinal plant for the treatment of a number of ailments such as fevers, chills, vomiting, burns, fevers, hypertension, headache, earache, stomachache, asthma, arthritis, snake bites, scorpion stings, diarrhea, malaria and epilepsy. The main constituent of essential oil of the plant is eryngial (E-2-dodecenal). However, a significant variation in the plant morphology, composition of essential oil (>60 constituents reported) and secondary metabolites resulted from genetic variability and geographic location. Pharmacological investigations have demonstrated anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-convulsant, anti-clastogenic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-diabetic and anti-bacterial activity. Focus on holistic research approaches such as genetic enhancement to develop high yielding varieties (collection, conservation, evaluation, breeding and development of potential genotypes); efficient production technologies to harvest the plants in mass (cultivation under 50–75 % shed-net and spray of gibberellic acid at a concentration of 100 ppm); post-harvest management to minimize marketing loss; and medicinal/pharmaceutical investigations would be the best strategies to increase the yield and to promote industrial uses of E. foetidum as an economically relevant crop.

Eleven cultivars were evaluated for fresh yield (10 environments), curing per cent, cucumin and dry yield (five environments) across India, four each in North and South India and two in North East India, ranging from 43 to 893 m above mean sea level. Combined analyses showed significant differences among cultivars, environments, and cultivar by environment interactions for yield, curing per cent and curcumin contents. A large proportion (70.8%) of variation on fresh yield was attributed to environments; however, for curing per cent, curcumin content and dry yield, genotype effect accounted for 31.2%, 17.7% and 15.7% of variation, respectively. Mega Turmeric was the most stable for fresh yield with above average yield per plant across all environments. Rajendra Sonia was performing well at specific locations as the fresh yield was high and was highly responsive to favorable environments. Results on curcumin and curing per cent showed that, IISR Kedaram performed consistently across five environments with regression values almost equal to one and non-significant deviation from regression was adjudged to be the most stable cultivar for curcumin production. High curcumin cultivar Narendra Tumeric-1 was least responsive at environments with regression values less than one and significant deviation from regression. Mega Turmeric, IISR Prathiba and IISR Kedaram showed high stability for dry yield across environments. Three varieties, Mega Turmeric, IISR Kedaram and IISR Prathiba could serve as a good genetic source for stability in breeding programs for high dry yield and curcumin content.

This paper focuses on battery charging/discharging through a converter tied to the DC link. PV and wind energy power system are used as sources. This work aims to develop a model that depends on the state of charge of the battery to decide its state of operation. The filter and converter design has been carried out and simulation results have been reported. The paper looks into the aspects of system integration and simulation results. Harmonics are an important aspect of power electronics and energy systems. Hence, FFT analysis results have been shown with an objective of reducing the fundamental harmonic components as much as possible. The simulation results with varying loads have been presented and load current and load voltage waveforms have been analyzed.

The aim of our study is to understand the concept of unified airway disease, to know the advantage of this concept in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic rhinitis, chronic rhino-sinusitis and asthma, to know its impact on practice of otolaryngologists, to motivate the otorhinolaryngologist to apply this concept in diagnosis and treatment. This article is based on our experience on (20 cases) chronic rhino-sinusitis and asthma, and observations and results from various literatures. Implement of the concept of unified airway disease and ability to translate its principles into successful diagnostic and treatment strategies can enhance the practice of otolaryngology. The end result is the potential for improved patient care. In our study 80% cases have reduced frequency of symptoms and all (100%) cases having improved night time symptoms thus the use of short-acting beta2 agonist to control the asthma symptoms decreases.

The purpose of our study was to determine the incidence of hearing loss and to describe the hearing impairment and the possible contributing factors, responsible for sensori neural hearing loss in chronic renal failure (CRF) patients. This was a prospective study carried out on 50 cases of CRF attending otorhinolaryngological services for hearing disturbance and on 50 healthy volunteers for control study, having the same inclusion criteria except (does not suffering with CRF) having normal renal function tests. These volunteers attended the ENT OPD, for oto-rhino-laryngological services but not for hearing problems. 14 (28%) out of 50 cases of CRF had sensori neural hearing loss of moderate to severe degree in the high frequency range which was bilateral and symmetrical, while in control group the incidence of sensorineural hearing loss was only 6%.

Improved vegetable varieties with additional attributes other than yield may have greater chances for acceptance by the farmers. This hypothesis was tested by designing the on-farm action research in Soodna village of Hapur district to assess the carrot variety Pusa Rudhira during the year 2011–14 and also to analyze farmers’ feedback and horizontal expansion of the same as compared to the prevailing popular variety (Desi Red) from private sector. Findings showed that though the duration of both the varieties was comparable but the yield advantage from variety Pusa Rudhira was 10 q/ha higher than the private sector variety Desi Red (384 q/ha). Farmers and consumers preferred Pusa Rudhira for its long red fleshed roots with high juice content, sweetness and self coloured core of roots. The market price for this variety fetched higher price (17.76%) than the Desi Red variety (Rs. 788/q). As a result, the net return was computed considerably higher (38.17%) for variety Pusa Rudhira (Rs 222690/ha) over Desi Red (Rs 161169/ha). Farmers also accorded superior score to Pusa Rudhira in terms of colour (9 out of 10), marketability (9 out of 10) and taste (8 out of 10).

Context: Cartilage has proven to be an excellent graft material inside the middle ear. The use of cartilage for tympanic membrane grafting may provide additional benefits in some difficult situations. Aims: The study was planned to evaluate the graft uptake and hearing after placement of “boomerang-shaped chondroperichondrial graft” in Type I tympanoplasty. Settings and Design: The prospective study was conducted on 40 patients having chronic suppurative otitis media with no active disease at least for last 6 weeks in a tertiary care center of North India. Patients having cholesteatoma and ossicular erosion/or necrosis were excluded from the study.Subjects and Methods: Those patients underwent tympanoplasty Type I by postaural approach and underlay grafting using “boomerang-shaped chondroperichondrial graft” from tragal cartilage and were followed up for 3 months. Hearing evaluation was performed preoperatively and postoperatively after 3 months. Statistical Analysis Used: The mean, range, and standard deviation of air conduction and air-bone gap were calculated and compared with preoperative findings. Results: The mean age of study group was 26.23 ± 12.46 years. Ear discharge (100%) and hearing impairment (87.5%) were the chief presenting complaints. The mean duration of ear discharge was 6.67 ± 6.75 years. Type I tympanoplasty was performed in all cases using “boomerang-shaped chondroperichondrial graft” harvested from tragal cartilage. Graft was taken up at the 3rd month in all patients. The preoperative mean air conduction was 43.21 ± 7.17 dB, which at the 3rd month improved to 36.49 ± 6.60 (P = 0.00004). Preoperative mean air-bone gap was 25.45 ± 8.44 dB which was improved to 19.31 ± 8.18 dB postoperatively at the 3rd month (P = 0.0014). Conclusions: Boomerang-shaped chondroperichondrial graft has excellent “take rate” in Type I tympanoplasty.

This paper presents design and simulation of PV (Photovoltaic)and wind hybrid Energy system (WECS) in isolated mode of operation. The output voltage from two sources are given to DC link by using to DC-DC converters in order to maintain constant DC link voltage. Single phase Inverter with unipolar voltage switching is used. The Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) of load voltage is analyzed. This work presents results based on realistic data as inputs obtained from the operation of a test workbench consisting PV-Wind hybrid system. The system includes a 3KW PV array and 3.2KW wind turbine; realistic data for January 2013 obtained from the Innovation Centre, MIT Manipal, is considered here, simulated daily data, and validated the simulation results for the physical system.

As a result of rising concern of global warming and the depletion of fossil fuel reserves, many are looking at sustainable energy solutions to preserve the earth for the future generations. Environmentally friendly solutions are becoming more prominent than ever as a result of concern regarding the state of our deteriorating planet. This paper presents one of the alternate ways for the power generation, which is clean and economical for the future generation. The two sources which are used for power generation are solar and wind. DC output of photovoltaic panel and rectified dc output of Wind energy conversion system(WECS) is fed to the boost converter which is operating in closed loop in-order to maintain constant output power in any environmental condition. It consists of wind turbines with permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG). The output of boost converter is feed to the common dc link which is connected to the 3 phase Sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM) inverter, which converts its dc input to 3 phase AC output. Simulated 2KW solar and 3.2KW wind hybrid system. The simulation of whole hybrid model is done in SIMULINK/MATLAB.

In this paper, a printed monopole wireless antenna is presented which is a very simple and compact but very effective radiating element for the multiband wireless communication system and different mobile devices. This antenna simultaneously covers the following wireless bands: UMTS (1,920–2,170 MHz), 2.4-GHz WLAN (2,400–2,484 MHz), 5-GHz WLAN (5,150–5,350/5,725–5,825 MHz), ITS (5,795–6,400 MHz), Wi-Fi (5 GHz), MIMO applications and 3G band of 1.8–2 GHz. Proposed antenna is very compact and lightweight having area of 20 × 20 mm2 and it is also cheap due to the use of FR4 substrate and less conducting metal. This antenna can be a good choice for the applications of WLAN and other wireless devices. This antenna has a very good efficiency and gain which can provide an effective radiation. Since antenna covers 1.8–2.3, and 4.2–9.2 GHz (61.11 %) so it is bandwidth efficient and having the efficiency of over 92 %. The antenna is designed and simulated using finite element method (FEM)-based simulator HFSS V13.0.

In India the use of appropriate imported coals to supplement the inherent deficiencies of indigenous coals for cokemaking is in vogue. Stamp charging is very efficacious for inferior coking coals and has enabled Tata Steel to produce coke of international quality. It has been found to offer scope for the utilisation of less expensive imported semi-soft coals to replace expensive imported hard coals. Extensive tests were carried out to assess the blending potential of semi-soft coals for cokemaking by stamp charging in a 7 kg mini-oven, and a 600 kg pilot oven in the laboratory. This was followed by commercial scale trials. The test results clearly indicated that hard coals can be replaced with 30–35% of semi-soft coals in the stamp charging blend at Tata Steel without any compromise of coke strength. Semi-soft coals are now in regular use in all Tata's stamp charged batteries.

This paper presents the analysis of simple, compact, CPW- fed monopole aperture antenna with 10dB return loss (VSWR

Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a retroviral infection of horses. Horses infected by EIA virus (EIAV) become inapparent carriers that remain asymptomatic for the remainder of their life span and serve as infection source to other horses. In this study, agar gel immunodiffusion test and ELISA were used to investigate the presence of antibodies to EIAV in equines. A total of 67,042 equine serum samples from 19 states and two union territories were tested during April 1999 to September 2012. The results revealed that none of the animals were positive for antibodies to EIAV from 1999 to December 2009. However, two EIAV sero-positive cases one each from indigenous and thoroughbred equines were detected in 2010 and 2012, respectively. Occurrence of EIA after a long gap of 11 years is indicative of reemergence of EIA in India which warrants concerted efforts in nationwide surveillance and monitoring for detection and elimination of EIAV carrier animals to prevent EIA outbreak.

This paper reports an automatic instrument developed for characterization of optical waveguides. A specially designed waveguide excitation unit offers a flexible platform for measurement of optical waveguide characteristics like number of propagating modes, mode field intensity distribution, the refractive index profiles, waveguide geometry, attenuation, and dispersion. Further, the availability of attachments like filters, polarizers, chopper, intensity profiler, and CCD camera make the instrument flexible enough for a variety of other experiments also. The instrument is PC controlled and assisted by user friendly menu‐driven software. A large number of waveguides have been analyzed using the setup. These results are also presented in the paper.

Ebstein's anomaly is a common congenital abnormality in the Wolff-Parkinson white syndrome (WPW). The term WPW is applied to patients with both preexcitation on ECG and paroxysmal tachycardias. In this case review, we describe a female with a history of intermittent palpitations who presented in the postpartum period with WPW. Subsequent testing revealed an underlying Ebstein's anomaly. In the United States, heart disease is responsible for 10% of maternal deaths. Although pregnancy is well known to exacerbate symptoms in patients with WPW, postpartum exacerbation has not been clearly described. This unusual case suggests that monitoring beyond the peurperium would be advisable in patients at risk to develop malignant tachyarrhythmias.

Farming systems research and extension (FSRE), as used by the global Association for Farming Systems Research-Extension, applies to a family of methodologies used to generate, evaluate and disseminate agricultural technologies in association with farmer participation. FSRE shares many attributes with Diagnosis and Design as practiced in agroforestry. The history of FSRE is traced from 1965 to the present, showing the formalization of the methodology and its critical use in sustainable agricultural technology development. In on-farm research, a primary basis for FSRE, research and extension merge in practice. The definition of recommendation domains (a fundamental concept of FSRE) is based on analysis and interpretation of multi-environmental research results as evaluated by varied criteria.

This paper reports the development of an indigenous, automatic instrument ofor optical waveguide characterization by using digital image processing (DIP) technique. Prism-coupling technique is used for waveguide excitation. Manipulating the synchronous angle data, information about the waveguide is extracted. The instrument consists of a PC-based, stepper motor controlled prism-coupling set-up and a DIP unit. A suitable gear arrangement has been designed for procise motion of the prism mount. Usually, the m-lines which are decoupled out of the output prism are seen on a screen. In this instrument, a video camera replaces the screen. The frame grabber of the image processing unit digitizes the intesity distribution and stores it in the PC memory. This is preprocessed to remove noise. Further, grey-scale modifications are used to obtain an image with good contrast. Using thresholding operation, m-lines are identified and the mode-field distribution is obtained. Softwares have been developed to measure the width and position of each m-line. Another module, RIPSOFT, determines refractive index profile. Provision has been made to determine waveguide attenuation by grabbing images of the output, at various positions on the waveguide. Suitable mechanical arrangement has also been designed for the motion of the prism/waveguide.

Purpose. To identify the organisms causing delayed deep infection following primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and to compare the differences in outcome based on the infecting organism. Methods. Between the period April 1998 and March 2004 inclusive, patients presenting with delayed deep infection following primary TKA and/or those who underwent a salvage procedure (amputation or arthodesis) were retrospectively studied. Results. Organisms were isolated in 27 patients; 44% were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. When the organism was resistant, the mean number of surgical procedures per patient was significantly higher and the proportion of patients with satisfactory outcomes was significantly lower. Conclusion. Deep infection with methicillin-resistant S aureus or S epidermidis is increasing. Strict infection control measures must be in place to combat such problems.

The design of microprocessor based slip power recovery controlled slip ring induction motor is described. The Intel-8085 microprocessor is used to implement speed and current controllers and to generate firing pulses. The motor converter system is modeled in z-domain by using small perturbation around the operating point and the transfer function of the system is obtained. The stability of the system is studied by using Jury's stability criterion and the design of current and speed controllers is carried out for the good dynamic response. The effects of controller parameters on the dynamic response of the system are studied.

Open septorhinoplasty is an old idea, whose time has come, gives bird’s eye view of nasal osteocartilagenous Vault, permitting precise correction under direct vision. Needs very little extra disection, gives good results in tip area surgery and septum. columellar scar is negligible.

A detailed investigation of charging induced damage due to high power implants was done using SEMATECH SPIDER wafers with sub-50 /spl Aring/ gate oxide thickness. The SPIDER wafers have an active area to gate antenna ratio of up to 1:90 K, which enables a high sensitivity for charging related damage, Threshold voltage (V/sub t/) and gate leakage current (I/sub g/) shifts for both n- and p-type devices have been examined as a response to plasma electron flood (PEF) conditions. Results from 180 keV As/sup +/ and P/sup +/ implants at 20 mA and 5/spl times/10/sup 15//cm/sup 2/ dose are presented. The impact of PEF settings on n-mos and p-mos devices is shown, and correlated to both in situ charge monitors and CHARM wafers. This work underscores the importance of characterizing PEF operation to obtain optimum charge control.

21. Buller NP, Poole-Wilson PA: Mechanism of the increased ventilatory response to exercise in patients with chronic heart failure. Br Heart J 1990; 63:281–283 22. Hammond HK, Kelly TL, Froelicher VF, Pewen W: Use of clinical data in predicting improvement in exercise capacity after cardiac rehabilitation. J Am Coll Cardiol 1985;6:19–26 23. Fioretti P, Simoons ML, Zwiers G, Baardman T, Brower RW, Kazemir M, Hugenholtz PG: Value of predischarge data for the prediction of exercise capacity after cardiac rehabilitation in patients with recent myocardial infarction. Eur Heart J 1987;(suppl)8:33–38 24. Shiran A, Kornfeld S, Zur S, Laor A, Karelitz Y, Militianu A, Merdler A, Lewis BS: Determinants of improvement in exercise capacity in patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. Cardiology 1997;88:207–213 25. Jugdutt BI, Michorowski BL, Kappagoda CT: Exercise training after anterior Q wave infarction: Importance of regional left ventricular function and topography. J Am Coll Cardiol 1988;12:362–372 26. Gianuzzi P, Tavazzi L, Temporelli PL, Corra U, Imparato A, Gattone M, Giordano A, Sala L, Schweiger C, Malinverni C: Long-term physical training and left ventricular remodeling after anterior myocardial infarction: Results of the Exercise in Anterior Myocardial Infarction (EAMI) trial. J Am Coll Cardiol 1993;22:1821–1829 27. Giannuzzi P, Temporelli PL, Corra U, Gattone M, Giordano A, Tavazzi L: Attenuation of unfavorable remodeling by exercise training in postinfarction patients with left ventricular dysfunction: Results of the Exercise in Left Ventricular Dysfunction (ELVD) trial. Circulation 1998;96:1790–1797 28. Goebbels U, Myers J, Dziekan G, Muller P, Kuhn M, Ratte R, Dubach P: A randomized comparison of exercise training in patients with normal vs. reduced ventricular function. Chest 1998;113:1387–1393 29. Ades PA, Grunvald MH, Weiss RM, Hanson JS: Usefulness of myocardial ischemia as predictor of training effect in cardiac rehabilitation after acute myocardial infarction or coronary artery bypass grafting. Am J Cardiol 1989;63:1032–1036

Background: Lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor-I (LOX-1), a novel receptor for oxidized low-density lipoprotein, mediates oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced apoptosis of endothelial cells, monocyte adhesion to endothelium, and phagocytosis of aged cells. The present study examined the role of LOX-1 and apoptosis in human atherosclerotic lesions. Methods and Results: Grafted vein (n = 8), human carotid artery endarterectomy (n = 11), and normal human internal mammary artery (n = 8) specimens were used to study the expression of LOX-1 and apoptosis. LOX-1 expression was determined by reverse transcriptasepolymerase chain reaction, Western analysis, and immunostaining. Presence of apoptosis was determined by fluorescent in situ nick end-labeling staining and by the presence of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase protein (an apoptotic marker). Expression of LOX-1 was significantly increased in atherosclerotic grafted vein and carotid artery specimens compared with that in normal arteries. LOX-1 was expressed in endothelial cells, macrophages, and smooth muscle cells. LOX-I was extensively expressed in the new blood vessels in the core of advanced atherosclerotic lesions. Double immunostaining showed LOX-1 expression to be colocalized with apoptotic cells. Fluorescent in situ nick end-labeling staining showed that the apoptotic cells were present mostly in the rupture-prone regions of the atherosclerotic plaque. Conclusion: These observations indicate that LOX-I is extensively expressed in the proliferated intima of grafted veins and in advanced atherosclerotic carotid arteries. Further, LOX-1 is colocalized with apoptotic cells. These observations may relate to the phenomenon of plaque rupture, and provide targets for developing new therapies.

Background: Physician interest in complementary medicine is widely documented in many Western countries. The extent of level of training, attitudes toward legitimacy, and use of complementary therapies by US primary care physicians has not been extensively surveyed. We conducted a national mail survey of primary care physicians to explore these issues. Methods: Primary care specialties represented were family and general practice, internal medicine, and pediatrics. A total of 783 physicians responded to the survey. For the multivariate analysis, sample weights were assigned based on specialty. Assessments were done for training, attitudes, and usage for complementary medicine. Additional data collected included years in practice, specialty, and type of medical degree. Results: Biofeedback and relaxation, counseling and psychotherapy, behavioral medicine, and diet and exercise were the therapies in which physicians most frequently indicated training, regarded as legitimate medical practice, and have used or would use in practice. Traditional Oriental medicine, Native American medicine, and electromagnetic applications were least accepted and used by physicians. Conclusions: Many psychobehavioral and lifestyle therapies appear to have become accepted as part of mainstream medicine, with physicians in this study having training in and using them. Such therapies as chiropractic and acupuncture appear to be gaining in acceptance despite low training levels among physicians. Those in practice more than 22 years had the least positive attitudes toward and use of complementary therapies. Osteopathic physicians were more open than medical physicians to therapies that required administering medication or a procedural technique. In the multivariate analysis, attitude and training were the best predictors of use. (J Am Board Fam Pract 1998;11:272-81.) Therapies currently not taught or used in West­ ern or US medical schools or institutions are grouped within the general classification of com­ plementary and alternative medicine.l,z A widely divergent group of more than 150 different prac­ tices representing a "hodgepodge of beliefs and treatments"3 falls within this heading. In one of the most extensive efforts to map the field of com­ plementary or alternative medicine, the Office of