Search

BACKGROUND Indoor air pollution is responsible for more than 1.5 million deaths and 2.7 % of the global burden of disease as per WHO report. Globally, more than three billion people depend on solid fuels including biomass and coal. Nearly 4 million people die prematurely from illnesses attributed to household air pollution from inefficient cooking practices using polluting stoves paired with solid fuels and kerosene. As a customary involvement in cooking; women are obliged to breathe the air polluted with biomass fuels and tend to experience the largest exposures and health burdens. Hence this study was done to assess the determinants of indoor air pollution (IAP) and its health impact among women residing in rural areas of Bengaluru. METHODS A community based cross sectional study was conducted among household women residing in rural population of Bengaluru over a period of 4 months. Based on prevalence rate of sources for indoor air pollution being 49 % from the earlier studies the estimated sample was 500. Household women were interviewed by simple random sampling technique. RESULTS The mean age of the participants was 46.9 + 15yrs. where 42.4 % belonged to 40 - 59 yrs. of age group. In majority of households, 84.4 % used LPG as a cooking fuel. Type of fuel, second-hand smoking, smoke from the neighbourhood and use of mosquito repellents were found to be sources while poor housekeeping, inadequate ventilation, and lack of smoke outlet in kitchen were contributing factors for IAP. Irritation in eyes, cough, difficulty in breathing, running nose and chronic respiratory diseases were the perceived symptoms due to IAP. CONCLUSIONS Majority of households in the current study were exposed to IAP due to passive smoking, smoke from the neighbourhood and use of mosquito repellents while improper ventilation, absence of smoke outlet and humid conditions accentuated it. Community awareness program and cost effective interventions is the need of the hour. KEY WORDS Indoor Air Pollution, Rural Population, Women's Health

This study reports next generation optical strain measurement with “strain-sensing smart skin” (S4) and a comparison of its performance against the established digital image correlation (DIC) method. S4 measures strain-induced shifts in the emission wavelengths of single-wall carbon nanotubes embedded in a thin film on the specimen. The new S4 film improves spectral uniformity of the nanotube sensors, avoids the need for annealing at elevated temperatures, and allows for parallel DIC measurements. Noncontact strain maps measured with the S4 films and point-wise scanning were directly compared to those from DIC on acrylic, concrete, and aluminum test specimens, including one with subsurface damage. Strain features were more clearly revealed with S4 than with DIC. Finite element method simulations also showed closer agreement with S4 than with DIC results. These findings highlight the potential of S4 strain measurement technology as a promising alternative or complement to existing technologies, especially when accumulated strains must be detected in structures that are not under constant observation.

Jointed structures are ubiquitous constituents of engineering systems; however, their dynamic properties (e.g., natural frequencies and damping ratios) are challenging to identify correctly due to the complex, nonlinear nature of interfaces. This research seeks to extend the efficacy of traditional experimental methods for linear system identification (such as impact testing, shaker ringdown testing, random excitation, and force or amplitude-control stepped sine testing) on nonlinear jointed systems, e.g., the half Brake–Reußbeam, by augmenting them with full-field data collected by high-speed videography. The full-field response is acquired using high-speed cameras combined with Digital Image Correlation (DIC), which enables studying the spatial–temporal dynamic characteristics of the system. As this is a video-based experiment, additional constraints are attached to the beam at the node points to remove the rigid body motion, which ensures that the beam is in the view of the camera during the entire test. The use of a video-based method introduces new sources of experimental error, such as noise from the high-speed camera's fan and electrical noise, and so the measurement accuracy of DIC is validated using accelerometer data. After validating the DIC data, the measurements are recorded for several types of excitation, including hammer testing, shaker ringdown testing, fixed sine testing, and stepped sine testing. Using the DIC data to augment standard nonlinear system identification techniques, modal coupling and the mode shapes’ evolution are investigated. The suitability of videography methods for nonlinear system identification of nonlinear beams is explored for the first time in this paper, and recommendations for techniques to facilitate this process are made. This article focuses on developing an accurate data collection methodology as well as recommendations for nonlinear testing with DIC, which paves the way for video-based investigation of nonlinear system identification. In Part-II (Jin et al., 2021) of this work, the same data set is used for a rigorous assessment of nonlinear system identification with full-field DIC data. ISSN:0888-3270 ISSN:1096-1216

2-Aminothiazoles have been synthesized by a one-pot, two-step sequential procedure in solution state which does not involve the isolation of intermediates. It involves α-halogenation of correspondi...

Characterization of heavy metals in 5 Km2 range of dumping yard in relation to soil, water and crop has been studied. The concentration of Cd (4.05 mg/kg) in soil was higher than the permissible limit of WHO (3 mg/kg) and in descending order of metals in soil was found to be Fe> Cr>Cd>Ni>Zn>Cu>Pb and in bore well water it was Cr, Fe, Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu (23.20, 0.63, 0.31, 1.19 and 0.69 mg/l respectively) than the permissible limit (0.54, 0.40, 0.068, 0.03, 0.22, 0.018 mg/l) and their respective concentration ordered as Fe>Zn>Cu>Pb>Cd>Ni>Cr. Further the vegetables grown nearby dumping yard was highly contaminated by Cr in range (2.78 to 12.78 mgkg-1) in tomato, beans and cabbage and even in ragi and green gram Cr was high (1.78 to 14.96 mgkg-1). i.e., in Tomato; Cd>Fe>Cr>Zn>Pb>Ni>Cu, Beans; Cr>Cd>Pb>Fe>Zn>Cu>Ni, Cabbage; Cr>Cd>Pb>Fe>Zn>Cu>Ni, Ragi; Fe and Zn were below permissible limit and Pb, Ni, Cu, Cd are BDL and Green gram; Cr>Fe>Zn>Pb>Cu > Ni>Cd. In support of results, primary survey was conducted in nearby 20 villages circumventing the dumping yard. A total of 150 respondents were randomly enquired to know their level of knowledge and health status as result of open dumping site. The results revealed that 43.33%, 36% and 20.67% as medium, high and low impact in relation to heath and knowledge aspect of dumping site. Thus there is a considerable impact on environment and humans due to the presence of heavy metal in crop, soil and water.