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Experimental details procured from the resultant strain and stress of steel and concrete which form the major components of geo-polymer concrete beam. While this method is creates real time behavior, it is enormously time utilizing, and the use of materials can be quite expensive. Computer software simulation would aid in future development of the geo-polymer concrete members. The study is to examine the performance of the geo-polymer concrete (GPC) beam, in the various conditions of crack such as initiation, penetration and pattern, flexural strength, load–deflection and other mode of structure failure which exhibits the realistic behaviour when the actual material is used to create the FE model. This work is express the importance of FE modelling in structural element analysis. It can shows the behaviour of geo-polymer concrete beam until failure. It also gives comprehensive results of the element under critical distribution of stresses and effective strains in member and steel reinforcement in the members. To examine the flexural behaviour of geo-polymer concrete beams using three dimensional FEM analysis. Particularly focused on the failure surfaces of geo-polymer reinforced concrete beam and also the physical properties of flexural cracking behaviour of the beam. Procured results from the analytical calculation using ACI codes are compared with FEM analysis. This investigation is to evaluate the incremental loading conditions with respect to the time until failure. In this paper, we are going to analyze the behaviour under reinforced geo-polymer concrete beam with help of the computer analysis which is fail in flexure. The accessibility of nonlinear models with the help of available computer software. Finite element software simulation for structural members is cost effective.

A study on the fracture and damage-healing behavior of plain woven textile composite (PWTC) is performed in the present work. The primary objective is to conduct 2D progressive failure analysis (PF...

Project Aristotle is the flagship project of the Digital Constitutionalism cycle of the Institute for Internet and the Just Society. Together with our international partners, we publish a research guide on what a structure of governance for the digital realm can look like when it is informed by interdisciplinary country-specific legal and policy research and analysis. We believe that delving deep into these bodies of knowledge, as shaped by a people within a particular national context, has much to offer in response to the pressing questions posed by the digital ecosystem., The Institute for Internet and the Just Society is a think and do tank connecting civic engagement with interdisciplinary research focused on fair artificial intelligence, inclusive digital governance and human rights law in digital spheres. We collaborate and deliberate to find progressive solutions to the most pressing challenges of our digital society. We cultivate synergies by bringing the most interesting people together from all over the world and across cultural backgrounds. We empower young people to use their creativity, intelligence and voice for promoting our cause and inspiring others in their communities. We work pluralistically and independently. Pro bono.

BackgroundGenerating information that people living with a rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease (RMD) find useful while making decisions about their treatment requires identifying and understanding educational needs and interests directly expressed from people living with RMD.ObjectivesTo identify what types of information US adults with RMD perceive as important to know about their disease and how they express and prioritize such information.MethodsUsing nominal group technique, focus groups of participants (pts) with RMD generated sets of rank-order educational items which were then aggregated across groups into themes. Based on nominal group results, a survey with the final 28 items was administered online, along with a question about desired functions of a smartphone app for RMD, to members of the ArthritisPower registry in January 2022.ResultsSix nominal groups (n=47) yielded 28 unique items for the online survey of educational priorities. To date, a total of 570 pts completed the survey, of whom 85.4% were female, 89.5% white, mean age of 59.6 (SD 11.2) years. Rheumatoid arthritis (52.5%), osteoarthritis (16.0%), psoriatic arthritis (12.5%), and axial spondyloarthritis (7.5%) were the most common RMDs. Knowing how to tell when a medication is not working, how RMD affects other medical conditions, understanding the results of tests used to monitor their RMD, available treatment options and possible side effects, and how life will change as an RMD progresses were each items that > 75% of pts considered extremely important (Table 1). Top functions pts listed as useful for a smartphone app included being able to participate in research, view lab results, record symptoms or flares, share how they are doing with their provider, and get educational information about their disease (Table 2).Table 1.Top Education Topics Adults with Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Disease Consider Extremely Important (N=570).Itemn (%)Knowing when the medication is not working505 (88.6)Knowing how a rheumatologic condition can affect your other health conditions or medical issues481 (84.4)Understanding the results of tests used to monitor your condition471 (82.6)Knowing the side effects of available drugs, and how the drugs interact with each other461 (80.9)Finding the right rheumatologist453 (79.5)Having realistic expectations of the effectiveness of the medications445 (78.1)Knowing how the disease will progress, even if the news is bad439 (77.0)Knowing the available medications and treatments for your rheumatologic condition437 (76.7)Knowing how long it takes drugs to work436 (76.5)Understanding how your life will change as your disease progresses434 (76.1)Table 2.Desired Smartphone App Functions Rated By Adults with Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Disease (N=570).App Functionn (%)Participate in patient-centered research299 (52.5)View my lab results283 (49.7)Record my symptoms (e.g. pain, fatigue) or disease flares to track my health over time278 (48.8)Record my symptoms and share how I am doing with my rheumatology provider to know if I am meeting my treatment goals230 (40.4)Get educational information about my disease225 (39.5)Keep track of the medications prescribed by doctor200 (35.1)Schedule and keep track of my medical appointments, rheumatology and other199 (34.9)Track the vaccines I get (i.e. vaccination record)188 (33.0)Help me improve some of my health habits (e.g. sleep, diet, exercise)187 (32.8)Keep track of my use of over-the-counter, complementary or alternative therapies (herbs, tinctures, acupuncture, massage, stretching, etc.)174 (30.5)Get support for my disease from trained patients with my same health condition (i.e. ‘peer coaching’)144 (25.3)ConclusionPeople with RMD prioritized information about medications and prognosis in educational materials, providing guidance for the development of educational tools. A sizeable minority felt educational materials were an important component of a smartphone app, but also identified other important features such as participation in research.Disclosure of InterestsW. Benjamin Nowell Grant/research support from: Research support from AbbVie, Amgen, Eli Lilly and Scipher, Kelly Gavigan: None declared, Kimberly Garza: None declared, Alexis Ogdie: None declared, Michael George: None declared, Jessica A. Walsh Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, Eli Lilly and Company, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Merck, and Pfizer, Maria Danila: None declared, Shilpa Venkatachalam: None declared, Laura Stradford: None declared, Jeffrey Curtis Consultant of: AbbVie, Amgen, BMS, Corrona, Eli Lilly and Company, Gilead, Janssen, Myriad, Novartis, Pfizer, Regeneron, Roche, and UCB, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, BMS, Corrona, Eli Lilly and Company, Janssen, Myriad, Pfizer, Regeneron, Roche, and UCB

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic causes concern among patients with autoimmune and rheumatic disease (ARD) due to increased risk of infection and heightened isolation from social distancing.1ObjectivesExamine how mean patient-reported outcome (PRO) scores for mental, social and physical health fluctuated after COVID-19 vaccine availability was widespread in US.MethodsWe conducted and reported on2 an initial analysis of January 2020 – April 2021 where US participants (pts) of the ArthritisPower (AP) registry completed PROMIS measures of physical health (Physical Function, Pain Interference, Fatigue, Sleep Disturbance), mental health (Anger, Anxiety, Depression) and social health (Social Isolation, Emotional Support). Follow-up analysis was conducted May – December 2021. Only pts from initial analysis were included in follow-up. Null hypothesis was no change in monthly average scores across 23-month pandemic period. Analysis of means compared monthly assessment mean scores to overall mean score for each measure during study period. Pts with < 2 assessment time points and osteoarthritis with no ARD were excluded from analysis.ResultsTotal of 49,940 PRO scores were contributed by 2,266 pts during 23-month period, with 8,393 of the scores contributed from May – December 2021. Mean (standard deviation, SD) number of observations per pt was 5.6 (12.5). Pts were 87.6% female, 86.7% white, mean age of 52.1 (12.7) years. Rheumatoid arthritis (n=1,131, 49.9%) was the most common condition. Most commonly reported measures were Pain Interference, Fatigue, Sleep Disturbance and Physical Function, each with >11,000 total results (Table 1).Table 1.Avg assessment scores+ by month, mean (SD)Pain Interf (n= 11536)Fatigue (n= 11591)Sleep Disturb (n= 11257)Physical Func (n= 11202)Depression (n=1489)Anxiety (n= 1066)Social Iso (n=698)Emot Support (n=578)Anger (n=523)Study Period^63.3 (7.8)62.6 (9.5)58.1 (9.0)37.7 (7.6)60.8 (9.2)62.4 (10.5)61.9 (10.2)40.8 (9.8)61.5 (12.8)May 202161.9 (8.2)*60.9 (9.7)*55.2 (8.8)*38.9 (8.5)59.5 (9.2)61.9 (9.8)60.2 (13.3)38.1 (8.3)59.6 (14.5)June61.6 (6.9)*60.9 (9.6)*54.8 (8.9)*38.3 (7.8)59.2 (7.0)60.6 (9.6)61.8 (12.0)39.3 (10.3)60.2 (10.9)July61.8 (7.4)*60.8 (10.2)*56.0 (8.6)*38.1 (7.9)61.0 (7.8)59.9 (12.1)66.8 (8.5)*39.4 (9.7)62.4 (9.7)Aug61.2 (8.5)*60.7 (10.4)*55.8 (9.6)*38.5 (8.5)57.7 (7.9)*58.2 (10.3)*57.2 (11.1)36.9 (12.2)53.3 (19.4)Sep62.4 (8.5)62.3 (10.0)56.2 (8.3)37.3 (7.6)58.7 (8.0)57.7 (11.3)*68.1 (12.8)36.7 (12.1)58.7 (12.0)Oct63.1 (8.4)63.3 (9.9)57.6 (8.6)37.3 (8.0)59.9 (9.9)62.3 (9.0)64.3 (10.3)37.3 (11.4)64.6 (10.2)Nov62.6 (6.8)63.2 (10.0)55.8 (8.6)*36.9 (7.0)59.1 (8.8)61.3 (6.8)61.4 (10.9)38.6 (11.7)60.3 (12.4)Dec62.9 (8.3)64.0 (9.6)56.5 (8.4)37.4 (8.1)60.7 (8.4)63.8 (5.3)65.1 (7.5)38.5 (13.5)68.6 (5.0)*+PROMIS measures scored 0-100; mean 50 for general US population; 1SD = 10 points^Study period: January 2020 – December 2021. *Statistical significance (pPts’ mental and social health assessment scores improved then worsened during last 8 months of 2021 (Figure 1). Overall mean scores were: Anxiety 62.4 (12.5), Social Isolation 61.9 (10.5), and Anger 61.5 (12.8). From July – August, Social Isolation decreased by 1 SD. Compared to overall assessment mean, Anger declined by > ½ SD (53.3 [19.4]) in August and Anxiety declined by ½ SD (57.7 [11.3]) in September. By December, Anger rose by > ½ SD (68.6 [5.0]) of assessment mean. Pain Interference (mean: 63.3 [7.8]), Fatigue (62.6 [9.5]), and Sleep Disturbance (58.1 [9.0]) scores were significantly lower in May, June, July and August compared to the assessment mean, though none decreased by > ½ SD.ConclusionARD members of AP had mental, social and physical health scores improve during summer of 2021, corresponding with widespread availability of vaccines. However mental and social health scores worsened by December as US faced new variants of the virus.References[1]George M, et al. Rheumatol. 2021;48:603-7.[2]Gavigan K, et al. Arth Rheumatol. 2021;73(suppl 10).AcknowledgementsThis work was partially supported through a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) award (PPRN-1306-04811). All statements in this poster, including its findings and conclusions, are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of PCORI, its Board of Governors or Methodology Committee.Disclosure of InterestsKelly Gavigan: None declared, Esteban Rivera: None declared, Jeffrey R. Curtis Consultant of: Gilead, Novartis, and Samsung, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, BMS, Corrona, Eli Lilly and Company, Janssen, Myriad, Pfizer, Regeneron, Roche, and UCB, Shilpa Venkatachalam: None declared, Laura Stradford: None declared, David Curtis: None declared, W. Benjamin Nowell Grant/research support from: William B. Nowell is the Principal Investigator on grants/contracts from AbbVie, Eli Lilly and Company, and PCORI, and an employee of the Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF). GHLF receives grants, sponsorships and contracts from pharmaceutical manufacturers and private foundations. A full list of GHLF funders is publicly available here: https://www.ghlf.org/our-partners/.

To overcome the shortage of natural resources for the production of concrete, many waste materials are used to replace the raw materials of concrete. In this way, bottom ash is one of the major industrial wastes which shall be used as the replacement of materials in concrete production. It shall be used to replace the materials either up to one-third. This review brings out the evaluation of the industrial waste material which can be repeatedly used as a substitution for concrete as fine aggregate. This paper reviewed the use of industrial waste i.e., bottom ash as fine aggregate in the concrete. The parameters discussed were physical, chemical, fresh, and hardened properties of the concrete with partial replacement of bottom ash. By reviewing some of the research papers, concluded that 10-15% replacement of fine aggregates is acceptable for all the properties of concrete. High utilization of natural sources -gives the pathway to produce more industrial wastes which are responsible for the development of new sustainable development.

One of the most common issues that new graduates experience is the insufficient understanding of basic concepts. Major skill gaps in this area include a lack of deep comprehension on technical information, lack of customer management abilities, and insufficient knowledge of numerous disciplines. The study has attributed a lack of English communication skills, which they found in 73.63% of applicants, and poor analytical and quantitative skills, which they found in 57.96% of applicants, as a major cause of unemployment. Aptitude tests are conducted to analyze the problem-solving skills of the candidate; this evaluation helps to solve a problem at a given point in time. The proposed study has collected data on students, who had different information about their previous and current academic records, and then different classification algorithms along with the Data Mining Tool (VEKA) are used to analyze academic performance in training and accommodation. This study presents a proposed model based on a classification approach to find a better evaluation method in order to predict the student accommodation. There are many basic classification algorithms and statistical methods that can be used as good resources for classifying student datasets in education. In this article, a fuzzy inference system was used to predict the student performance and improve academic performance. This model can determine the relationship between student achievement and campus placement.

The current global market for their capital equipment requirement to fulfill their project needs looks for the supplier point of contact is unique, Knowledgeable with high degree of accountability. The Project Manager who is the one holding complete ownership for a project, handling throughout project life cycle in manufacturing industries. Hence, it is mandatory that Project Manager should possess and demonstrate entrepreneurship behaviors throughout the project life cycle. Thus, entrepreneurship skills for the Project manager as an employee of an organization shall be termed as “Intrapreneurship”. This type of behavior will be more beneficial in the larger industries like heavy construction, fabrication, EPC and original equipment manufacturing industries where the project execution deployed professionally. Aim of the project manager to exhibit entrepreneurial value by discovering requisites skills, market value and proven processes to create project management function with high efficiency. This type of skills are not mandatory to other stake holders in the same firm as their contribution towards the project life cycle is confined to some extent only. On the other hand, the project managers, who are handling the project throughout the complete lifecycle from purchase order receipt until warranty completion as per contract that includes all activities such as preparing the master schedule, sub-supplier purchase order, budget allocation, progressive payment and other milestone payment collections, monitoring the project revenue, control over the spend on projects, exploring change management, impact due to rework, rejection and cost of poor quality etc., Intrapreneurship project manager possesses an enterprise mindset to complete the project successfully and deliver the best results within the budget and on time delivery.

Ultrasonic sensors (HCSR04) are used for distance measurements whose range extends up to a distance of 4 m. These kinds of sensors are found being used in car reverse parking mechanisms and also helping blind people in navigation. But, there always exists a trade-off between distance and accuracy. This paper presents a method to improve the accuracy of an ultrasonic sensor using soft computing techniques for 2-D indoor localization. Advanced neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) was used to minimize the error in distance measurement. Finally, the simulated FIS model was implemented in hardware for real-time evaluation. The error analysis showed that the distance estimation accuracy was improved by 77%.

BackgroundUptake of treat to target strategies for the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is low. System-related barriers to accessing treatment are known, but poor adherence to starting and continuing treatment are prevalent causes of suboptimal care.ObjectivesTo better understand heterogeneity in patients’ conceptualization of RA treatment to inform interventions aimed at improving appropriate utilization of disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).MethodsParticipants (pts) were recruited from the ArthritisPower US online research registry. Pts who met eligibility criteria [physician diagnosed RA currently being treated with DMARD(s)] rated 56 items (coded on 5-point scales) reflecting concepts raised during in-depth patient interviews. To combine similar items for ease of analysis and interpretation, we conducted a principal components analysis using Varimax rotation. We then entered mean scores, weighted by how heavily each item loaded onto each factor, into a k-means cluster analysis. We examined whether demographic characteristics differed across clusters using ANOVA for continuous and chi-square for categorical variables.ResultsPts (N= 621) ranged in age from 22 to 93, with a mean of 57 years (SD= 11.5). Most (89%) were female and reported as non-Hispanic white (89%); 27% reported having a post-graduate degree. A scree plot revealed that a 4-factor solution explaining 36.8% of the variance would provide desirable interpretability, with a discontinuous drop in eigenvalues for additional factors slowly tapering and adding little discriminability between later solutions. The four factors (% variance explained, number of items) were: 1) Access to high quality care and support (12.10%, n= 21); 2) Comfortable adding/switching DMARDs (9.73%, n= 14); 3) Perceived favorable DMARD risk/benefit ratio (8.74%, n= 15); and 4) Confidence that testing reflects disease activity (6.20%, n= 6).A 5-cluster solution showed the most stable convergence of cluster centers after 10 iterations. Figure 1 shows the weighted mean scores for each factor across clusters. The largest group (31.7%) is characterized by mean scores on each of the four factors toward the high end of mean responses for the sample, reflecting positive experiences; we labeled this group “Successfully Engaged in Care” to indicate a positive rheumatologist relationship, feeling well-informed and active participation in care. The next group (24.3%) also had high scores for Factor 1 (access to high quality care/support) and Factor 3 (perceived favorable DMARD risk/benefit ratio), but were less comfortable adding/switching DMARDs (Factor 2) and had less confidence in testing reflecting their disease activity (Factor 4); we labeled this group “Worried About Medication”.The three remaining clusters are smaller. The third cluster (16.4%), labeled “Skeptical of Testing,” had a favorable view of DMARDs (Factor 3) despite lower scores related to access and quality of care (Factor 1) and confidence in testing (Factor 4). The fourth cluster (14.3%) expressed low perceived value of DMARDs as well as reduced scores for DMARD risk/benefit and confidence in testing; we labeled this group “Resistant to DMARDs.” The last cluster (13.2%) scored lowest on their rating of access to high quality care and support, indicating less access to, and satisfaction with, information needed to support decision making. Their perceived risk/benefit ratio for DMARDs was still favorable, so we labeled this group “Dissatisfied with Care.”ConclusionPatients’ conceptualization of RA treatment varies, but discomfort with adding/switching DMARDs appears to be ubiquitous regardless of perceived benefits associated with DMARDs and access to high quality care/support. Interventions outside of the traditional physician-patient relationship are needed to facilitate treatment escalation in patients with RA. Further research is required to understand residual variance not explained by our model.AcknowledgementsThe authors thank the patients for their participation.Disclosure of InterestsBetty Hsiao: None declared, Julie Downs: None declared, Mandy Lanyon: None declared, Jeffrey R. Curtis Consultant of: Gilead, Novartis, and Samsung, Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, BMS, Corrona, Eli Lilly and Company, Janssen, Myriad, Pfizer, Regeneron, Roche, and UCB, Susan Blalock: None declared, Carole Wiedmeyer: None declared, Shilpa Venkatachalam: None declared, W. Benjamin Nowell Grant/research support from: •William B. Nowell is the Principal Investigator on grants/contracts from AbbVie, Eli Lilly and Company, and PCORI, and an employee of the Global Healthy Living Foundation (GHLF). GHLF receives grants, sponsorships and contracts from pharmaceutical manufacturers and private foundations. A full list of GHLF funders is publicly available here: https://www.ghlf.org/our-partners/., Liana Fraenkel: None declared

BackgroundNonlinear associations in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) prevalence and sociodemographic indices suggest social determinants of health affect RA.1 RA screening tools have lower sensitivity and specificity for Hispanic/Latinx individuals compared with white individuals (77% vs 85% sensitivity and 45% vs 87% specificity).2 Hispanic/Latinx people also present to physicians later and with more severe RA.3 There is little research in this population to explain these differences or how they can be addressed. Because it is known the Hispanic/Latinx population has lower English-language proficiency, we hypothesized this is in part because of the lack of validated Spanish-language educational materials and research tools for RA.ObjectivesTo validate a Spanish-language patient-provider questionnaire (PPQ) for Hispanic/Latinx patients with RA that had previously been validated as concordant for primary care visits in Sweden.4To understand if rheumatologist and patient assessments for Hispanic/Latinx people with RA are concordant when using a Spanish-language digital PPQ.To determine if a Spanish-language rheumatologist-completed PPQ could be a proxy for patient impressions in a prospective clinical study.MethodsA Spanish-language PPQ for RA was created by translating 9 of 13 questions previously validated in the Swedish study,4 and adding a question about treating to target specific to RA. The survey was made available on tablet devices in 4 rheumatology clinics in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Clinic staff obtained patient consent and gathered demographic information to generate a unique confidential identifier code for each visit, which was inputted into surveys on tablet devices. After the visit ended the patient and rheumatologist were each given the PPQ coded for that visit to complete independently of one another. The PPQs were submitted electronically to a secure database in which the visit code was the only identifier recorded.ResultsAcross 114 clinical visits, 96.75% of possible answers were recorded and were almost invariably positive with scores of 5 (strongly agree; 88%), 4 (agree; 12%), or 3 (neither agree nor disagree; 0.09%). Physicians responded with 4 (agree) more often than patients (18% vs 6% of responses). Responses from both patient and physician were available for (96.64%) of answered questions. Within these paired answers, 80.67% were concordant (same answer from both patient and physician). Physicians answered 4 when patients answered 5 in 76.5% of discordant responses (different ratings from patient and physician). Most physician ratings of 4 came from 1 of the 4 physicians involved and only 12.5% of patients were responsible for 75% of the patient responses of 4.ConclusionHispanic/Latinx patients with RA and their rheumatologist rated their communication, goal setting, and relationships extremely positively, making it difficult to evaluate true concordance and not possible to use rheumatologist-completed PPQs as proxy for patient assessments. Notably, ratings were substantially different from what is typically seen on Likert scales, which normally skew positively but with a normal distribution. This finding may reflect social determinants of health or cultural differences such as a social-desirability bias toward positive statements about physician-patient interactions. Heterogeneity within the participants is also a plausible explanation, considering that a distinct subset of respondents account for almost all responses below the 5 rating. Further research is needed to identify best practices for measuring treatment to target and patient-rheumatologist interactions in the Hispanic/Latinx population with RA.References[1]Safiri S, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2019;78(11):1463-71. doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-215920[2]Potter J, et al. J Rheumatol. 2008;35(8):1545-9. PMID: 18597406[3]Riad M, et al. J Clin Rheumatol. 2019. doi:10.1097/RHU.0000000000001085[4]Ahlén GC, et al. Fam Pract. 2007;24(5):498503. doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cmm043AcknowledgementsWe wish to acknowledge the important contributions of our HOPE CAPE RA participants, including the patients and providers and Anne Sydor, PhD for her invaluable advice and help throughout the project.This project was funded by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation.Disclosure of InterestsDaniel Hernandez Grant/research support from: This project is supported by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Julio Bravo Grant/research support from: This project is supported by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Juan Jose Maya Grant/research support from: This project is supported by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Oscar Soto-Raíces Grant/research support from: This project is supported by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Angel Tapia Grant/research support from: This project is supported by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Guillermo Valenzuela Grant/research support from: This project is supported by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, W. Benjamin Nowell Grant/research support from: This research was supported by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Shilpa Venkatachalam Grant/research support from: This project is supported by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation

Fatigue damage evolution in CFRP is characterized by variation of local transverse strain from digital image correlation (un-notched) and temperature variation from infrared thermography (notched). The damage evolves over 2–3 stages. Matrix cracks and fiber matrix debonding are observed in ±45°, 90° and 0° plies in stage I. Fiber fracture is observed in 0° plies only in stage II of the un-notched specimen. It is present even in stage I for notched specimens . In notched specimens, extensive fiber fracture is observed in −45°, 90° and 0° plies in stage II due to higher local stresses. Fiber fracture causes a larger rate of increase in local temperature. A three parameter cumulative damage model is used for predicting the damage evolution and fatigue life . Predictions were good for tension–compression tests in unnotched specimens, but inadequate for compression-compression tests. While using temperature for damage characterization in notched specimens, additional parametrization is required.

Tensile properties of metals are typically measured using dog-bone shaped specimens having dimensions as per specifications imposed by international standards organizations. However, these properties may be influenced by the size of the specimen, especially when the cross-sectional dimensions are lower. At lower length scales, microstructure could have an effect on the mechanical behavior. In this study, tensile experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of cross-sectional dimensions on Young’s modulus of Al6061-T6 materials. Due to the small size of the specimens, digital image correlation, a non-contact measurement technique was used to obtain strain filed in the gage section of the specimen. Spray paint or toner powder were used to produce speckle pattern on the specimen surface for better correlation of the images. For specimens having the thickness of the order of a fraction of a mm, the natural gray pattern observed on the surface of the specimen was found to provide a good speckle pattern. This natural speckle pattern was used to correlate the images instead of synthetic speckles, to avoid the effect of paint on the Young’s modulus being measured on specimens with cross-sectional dimensions below 1 mm. Young’s modulus was found to be constant at about 67 GPa for specimens whose area of cross-section was more than 3 mm2. When the area of cross-section was lesser, Young’s modulus was found to decrease with a decrease in area of cross-section. Larger spread in Young’s modulus was also observed in the specimens with area of cross-section

Constrained groove pressing (CGP) is a severe plastic deformation technique to produce the ultra-fine grained sheet. The inhomogeneous strain distribution and geometry variation induce differential mechanical properties in the processed sheet. The improved mechanical properties of CGP sheets is due to the composite effect of weak and strong regions formed by geometric and strain inhomogeneities. Weaker regions exhibit large strain, lower yield strength, and higher strain hardening compared to stronger regions. The estimation of mechanical properties is influenced by these defects leading to the difference in the mechanical properties along different orientations. Experimental investigation revealed that the commonly used tensile samples cut perpendicular to the groove orientation exhibit variation in thickness along the gauge length affecting the results from tensile tests. To further understand the effect of geometric variation, a typical CGP specimen was reverse engineered and finite element (FE) simulation was performed using the actual geometry of the CGP processed specimen. The strain distribution from FE simulation was validated experimentally using the digital image correlation data. Based on the numerical and experimental studies, miniature specimens were designed to eliminate the geometric effects from the standard parallel specimen. Miniature parallel specimens showed lower yield strength and total elongation compared to the standard specimens. However, the statistical scatter of total elongation of the miniature specimens was much less than that of the standard specimens, indicating better repeatability. Probably this is the first study to quantify the contribution of composite geometric effect in the mechanical properties of CGP.

In the decade past, the corporates were in need of help from the campus placement cell of the educational institutions to post their status in the bulletin board of the college campus. They work to get flood of applications from the college graduating students. But it is changed today. The demand of the students is high. Because of the stagnant recruiting budget of the corporates and their outdated recruitment process is not offering much excitement in the minds of the graduating students. The hiring authority should be creative and their position should create a pack with success in the recruitment process to hire high standard of students. This is a very critical task to control over the on-campus recruitment program’s budgets. The India Skills Report 2014 says that according to the Industry sector the sourcing channel preferences varied, while the BPO/ITES and Manufacturing sectors’ got only 16.81% candidates from the campuses hires. The today’s generations are expecting learn to enjoy their work at the workplace. But the reality differs. They should be flexible with the workplace/organizational culture. Many educational institutions are offering attractive courses for the students which give enjoyment during their learning period. This also will help to enjoy their work later. The internships are the crucial part of their courses. Students have to understand that no field is glamorous. The creation of any particular field as glamour is only an assumption of them. But the reality is far from their assumption. Hence, the present study is focusing on the trends and problems of campus recruitment in the educational institutions of Coimbatore. The study confined its research only to the Engineering Educational Institutions. The study is completed with the help of both primary and secondary sources of the data collections.

It has happened a generation ago, the young student has graduated from colleges, chosen a job and it has turned into a career for lifetime. They were given with loyalty and the situation for switchover from the present job has not aroused. Many opportunities were availed for switching over from the present job in the ladder of corporate while the increasing of prestige and mainly for salary. The recruitment has been taken as a function and it has evolved and has grown diversely at various levels. So it has become a vital and very crucial thing for all the entities which have an effective and systematic Recruiting Plan. But at the same time, many Educational Institutions have introduced the innovative methods of teaching by downing the practical approach. With this they are making the students market ready. The campus recruitment at any Educational Institutions is the most critical task and its main aim is all about making the students as a long-term investment for the stakeholders and also for the benefit of the entities for the future success[1]. There are many olden ways of using the recruitment from campus by corporate, educational institutions, body corporates and students in India. In order to make this way of recruitment as an effective and meaningful there are various models are availed and also adopted by many Educational Institutions, Body corporates and Corporates. The importance of reaching out the students’ community with the help of several forums has been realized by the organizations[2]. Hiring and recruiting the correct resources from the Engineering Educational Institutions is a high risky and critical task for all the business corporates. This task becomes a tougher one when the talent is in raw stage and the need is focused on grooming. Hence, the present study focused on the Engineering Institutions’ campus recruitment tendency and disputes. Both primary and secondary sources of data have been used for successful completion of the study.

Damage evolution in fatigue tests (R = 0.5, −1, 2) conducted on carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) composites has been characterized using digital image correlation (DIC). Since damage initiation/delamination is a local phenomenon affecting transverse strain more than the longitudinal, local transverse strain is a better indicator of onset of delamination and its propagation. Variation of transverse strain near the initiated delamination with cycles indicates that the damage evolution occurs over 2–3 stages. Each stage has a stable damage growth with sudden increase between the stages. Waviness and the associated error due to the lag between image and load data acquisition was overcome by plotting the maximum transverse strain obtained from a curve fit to each set of continuous cycles. Error due to large relative deformations was avoided by choosing different reference images for different stages. Extent of damage zone and its evolution was characterized by the length over which the transverse strain exceeds a limiting value, which was taken to be that at the end of first stage in the plot. Rate at which the damage propagates shows similar variation as that of the local transverse strain, which shows that the latter can be used as an indicator of fatigue damage evolution. This also provides a method to quantify the damage in terms of local transverse strain, which can in turn be used to validate any developed damage models.

We present our case series on the use of flexible locked intramedullary nails in the management of metacarpal fractures.This was a prospective study over a period of 2 years of all patients with metacarpal fractures with 100% displacement or rotational deformity operated by the flexible locked intramedullary nails from January 2008 to April 2010 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead, UK RESULTS: Twenty-six patients with fractures of metacarpal neck and shaft were included in the study. All fractures went on to union by an average of 6.3 weeks with full metacarpophalangeal joint movement and grip strength.In our experience, this device helps to achieve good functional results with minimal soft tissue disruption and complications in the management of unstable metacarpal fractures.

Engineers and managers have been adopting quality function deployment (QFD) technique to translate the voice of customers into technical parameters and values for improving the quality of products. During the recent years, certain difficulties of applying QFD in practice have been reported. In order to overcome these difficulties, the researchers have been evolving advanced models of QFD. In the research being reported here, one of such advanced models namely total quality function deployment (TQFD) was applied in a manufacturing company to prevent water leakage in a type of pump called shallow well jet pump. The solutions evolved were implemented by releasing the work instructions in this company. This experience indicated that TQFD is a suitable technique for translating the voice of customers into technical languages in a manufacturing company in which employees possess inadequate expertise to develop House of Quality of QFD technique.

Nano and microcrystalline ZnO thin films were prepared on glass substrates using pulsed laser deposition technique under a vacuum of 3 × 10−7 Torr at different laser power density. Composition analyses show that the films deposited at low laser power density have more structural defects than the film deposited at high laser power density. It confirms that the content of Zn in free-state decreased greatly at high laser power density. Atomic force microscopy analysis shows that the surface roughness of the deposited films increases with an increase in laser power density. X-ray diffraction analyses show that all the films are oriented along (0 0 2) direction independently on the laser power density applied. The structural quality increases with an increase in laser power density. It is due to the fact that the increase of laser power density leads to the enhancement of peak intensity. The increase of laser power density reduces the film transmission in the visible range of the spectra. The optical band gap value is found to be in the range from 3.42 to 3.39 eV. It shows that the optical band gap value decreases with an increase in laser power density. FTIR analysis shows that the hydrated oxide content in the deposited films decreases with an increase in laser power density.

This paper describes the effect of doping on the composition, surface morphology and optical, structural and electrical properties of Al doped ZnO thin films by pulsed laser deposition. SEM analysis shows that the crystalline nature of the deposited films decreases with an increase of Al doping concentration from 1% to 6%. In the AFM analysis, the surface roughness of the deposited films increases by increasing the doping concentration of Al. Al doping strongly influences the optical properties of the ZnO thin films. Optical transmittance spectra show a very good transmittance in the visible region (450–700 nm). The calculated optical band gap was found to be in the range from 3.405 to 3.464 eV. Structural analysis confirms that the increases of Al concentration decrease the crystallinity of the ZnO films and the particle size decreases from 45.7±0.09 to 28.0±0.02 nm. In the Raman analysis, the active mode of Al(=1%) doped ZnO films were observed at 434.81 cm−1. The shifts of the active mode ( E 2 ) show the presence of tensile stress in the deposited films. The electrical properties of the deposited films showed that the values of the Hall mobility was in the range between 2.51 and 10.64 cm2/V s and the carrier concentration between 15.7 and 0.78×1017 and the resistivity values between 1.59 and 10.97 Ωcm, depending on the doping concentration.

Aluminum nitride (AlN) thin films have been deposited on Si(1 1 1) substrates by using reactive-rf-magnetron-sputtering at 250 °C. The crystalline quality and orientation of the films have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). We have observed that the films grow with c - or a -axis orientation. The composition, film thickness, impurities and stress are considered to be factors affecting the orientation and have been analyzed by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) and XRD. Their effects on the film growth will be discussed. Surface morphology of the films will be also presented.

V–W–Nd mixed-oxide films were prepared by pulse-laser deposition (PLD) technique from the targets sintered at different temperatures. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data indicate that the films fabricated from the targets sintered at low temperature were composed of various mixed valences. Raman spectroscopy shows that V–W–Nd films were composed of the vanadates as NdVO4, and the W6+ doping supplements the formation of vanadate. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) image of the films fabricated from the target sintered at 923 K reveals the average particle size is estimated around 86 nm. The surface morphology of the films roughness shows a dramatic change at 923–943 K.

The micro-end-milling operations typically have aggressive feed per tooth per radius compared to conventional milling operations thereby resulting in different forces and cutting force constants. In addition, the trochoidal nature of the tool path could also result in different force constants. An empirical model for the analysis of cutting forces in micro-end-milling operations is presented. The approach uses higher feed per tooth per radius of cutter ratios (compared to conventional end-milling operations) and the true trochoidial nature of the tool edge path in the derivation of a chip thickness for micro-end-milling operations. Cutting experiments were conducted in the micro-end-milling regime and forces were recorded. These forces were then decomposed in order to present new empirical formulae for cutting pressure constants in micro-end-milling operations. The model developed for cutting force constants will aid in better understanding of friction and forces in the micro-end-milling process.

Iodine-doped ZnSe thin films were prepared onto well-cleaned glass substrates using vacuum evaporation technique under a vacuum of 3.4 x 10{sup -3} Pa. The composition, structural, optical and electrical properties of the deposited films were analyzed using Rutherford Backscattered Spectrometry (RBS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and I-V characteristics. In the RBS analysis, the composition of the deposited film was calculated as (ZnSe)I{sub 0.003}. The structure of the deposited film was identified as cubic, oriented along the (111) direction. The structural parameters such as particle size, strain and dislocation density values were calculated as 28.28 nm, 1.38 x 10{sup -3} lin{sup -2} m{sup -4} and 1.29 x 10{sup 15} lin/m{sup 2}, respectively. Spectroscopic Ellipsometric (SE) measurements were done on the (ZnSe)I{sub 0.003} thin films. The spectral data showed three distinct critical-point structures, including weak structures at E {sub 0} + {delta} {sub 0}, indicating that the sample has a high crystalline quality. The optical band gap value of the deposited films was calculated as 2.63 eV using optical transmittance measurements. From the I-V characteristics studies, the conduction mechanism was found to be SCLC.

ZnSe thin films were prepared at different thicknesses using a vacuum evaporation technique under a vacuum of 3.9 × 10− 8 bar. The composition, structure, optical and electrical properties of the deposited ZnSe thin films were studied using the energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical transmittance and current–voltage measurements. The composition of the deposited films was found to be Zn (34.35%) and Se (65.65%). SEM images of ZnSe films on glass substrates revealed the smooth surface of the deposited films. X-ray analysis showed that the films deposited at a lower thickness were amorphous in nature, whereas at higher thicknesses, the films were crystalline in nature. The XRD patterns for higher thickness films exhibited reflections corresponding to the cubic (111) phase (2θ = 27.33°). The values of the estimated energy gap from optical studies for amorphous films were greater than that obtained for crystalline ZnSe (Eg = 2.7 eV) films. In the dc conduction studies, the free carrier mobility (μp), carrier density (p0) and trap density values were calculated as 9.1738 × 10− 15 m2 V− 1 s− 1, 1.068 × 1023 m3 and 4.2733 × 1022 m− 3, respectively.

ZnSe/Si heterostructures, fabricated by vacuum evaporation method, are investigated by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical, I–V, C–V analysis, high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) and ab initio quantum mechanics calculations. From the RBS analysis, the composition of the deposited film is found to be nearly stoichiometric. The structural studies show that the orientation of the crystallites in the deposited film is along (1 1 1) direction. Particle size (D), strain (ɛ) and dislocation density (δ) values are calculated as 40.71 nm, 0.95 × 10−3 lin−2 m−4 and 6.03 × 1015 lin m−2, respectively, while ZnSe/Si interface was locally studied to establish the high interaction between both crystals and it clears that the Si order produce the gradual array in the ZnSe crystallization. The optical band gap value of the deposited films is calculated as 2.61 eV. The ideality factor is evaluated from the I–V measurement and its value is found to be in the range of 2.8–3.01. From the C–V analysis, the built in potential is found to be 0.61 V. The value of effective carrier concentration (NA) and the barrier height are determined as 3.8 × 1011 cm−3 and 1.457 eV, respectively.