Performance Analysis of LEO Satellite-Based IoT Networks in the Presence of Interference

This paper explores a star-of-star topology for an internet-of-things (IoT) network using mega low Earth orbit constellations where the IoT users broadcast their sensed information to multiple satellites simultaneously over a shared channel. The satellites use amplify-and-forward relaying to forward the received signal to the ground station (GS), which then combines them coherently using maximal ratio combining. A comprehensive outage probability (OP) analysis is performed for the presented topology. Stochastic geometry is used to model the random locations of satellites, thus making the analysis general and independent of any constellation. The satellites are assumed to be visible if their elevation angle is greater than a threshold, called a mask angle. Statistical characteristics of the range and the number of visible satellites are derived for a given mask angle. Successive interference cancellation (SIC) and capture model (CM)-based decoding schemes are analyzed at the GS to mitigate interference effects. The average OP for the CM-based scheme, and the OP of the best user for the SIC scheme are derived analytically. Simulation results are presented that corroborate the derived analytical expressions. Moreover, insights on the effect of various system parameters like mask angle, altitude, number of satellites and decoding order are also presented. The results demonstrate that the explored topology can achieve the desired OP by leveraging the benefits of multiple satellites. Thus, this topology is an attractive choice for satellite-based IoT networks as it can facilitate burst transmissions without coordination among the IoT users.Comment: Submitted to IEEE IoT Journa

Cost-effectiveness of population-based screening for oral cancer in India: an economic modelling study

Background: Oral cancer screening reduces mortality associated with oral cancer. The current study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of commonly used screening techniques, namely conventional oral examination (COE), toluidine blue staining (TBS), oral cytology (OC), and light-based detection (LBD) in the Indian scenario. Methods: The study used a Markov modelling approach to estimate the cost and health outcomes of four different approaches (COE, TBS, OC, and LBD) for screening oral cancer over time from a societal perspective. The discount rate was assumed as 3%. The outcomes estimated were oral cancer incident cases, deaths averted, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). To address the high burden of risk factors (tobacco and/or alcohol) in India, two Markov models were developed: Model A adopted a mass-screening strategy, whereas Model B adopted a high-risk screening strategy versus no screening. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) was undertaken to address any parameter uncertainty. Findings: Mass-screening using LBD at three years had the least incident cases (3271.68) and averted the maximum number of oral cancer deaths (459.76). High-risk screening using COE at ten years interval incurred the least lifetime cost of 2,292,816.21 US$(182,794,468.26 INR). The high-risk strategies (US$/QALY), namely COE 5 years (−29.21), COE 10 years (−90.68), TBS 10 years (−60.54), and LBD 10 years (−13.51), were dominant over no-screening. Interpretation: The most cost-saving approach was the conventional oral examination at an interval of 10 years for oral screening in high-risk populations above 30 years of age. Funding: Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India

Development of end-to-end low-cost IoT system for densely deployed PM monitoring network: an Indian case study

Particulate matter (PM) is considered the primary contributor to air pollution and has severe implications for general health. PM concentration has high spatial variability and thus needs to be monitored locally. Traditional PM monitoring setups are bulky, expensive, and cannot be scaled for dense deployments. This paper argues for a densely deployed network of IoT-enabled PM monitoring devices using low-cost sensors, specifically focusing on PM10 and PM2.5, the most health-impacting particulates. In this work, 49 devices were deployed in a region of the Indian metropolitan city of Hyderabad, of which 43 devices were developed as part of this work, and six devices were taken off the shelf. The low-cost sensors were calibrated for seasonal variations using a precise reference sensor and were particularly adjusted to accurately measure PM10 and PM2.5 levels. A thorough analysis of data collected for 7 months has been presented to establish the need for dense deployment of PM monitoring devices. Different analyses such as mean, variance, spatial interpolation, and correlation have been employed to generate interesting insights about temporal and seasonal variations of PM10 and PM2.5. In addition, event-driven spatio-temporal analysis is done for PM2.5 and PM10 values to understand the impact of the bursting of firecrackers on the evening of the Diwali festival. A web-based dashboard is designed for real-time data visualization

Cladding techniques that achieve a solid metallurgical bond with the least amount of base material dilution - An overview

Metals and alloys can undergo intergranular corrosion attack, wear and ultimately can result in failure under various service conditions. To reduce this possibility of failure by different modes, metals and alloys are employed with certain surface treatment processes. Out of numerous surface treatment processes available today cladding has evolved itself as one of the noble techniques in this era to provide and act as a protective layer that enables the component or specimen to withstand and enhance the service life under extreme conditions. There is a various additive method of cladding who found to be economical and efficient over the perspective of providing a good metallurgical bond with the least possible dilution of the base material. This study tries to figure out the possibilities concerning conventional and unconventional cladding techniques based on processing techniques, metallurgical bonding, advantages associated, and limitations as attached to it

Development and validation of a questionnaire to assess preventive practices against COVID-19 pandemic in the general population

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected millions of people worldwide with far-reaching socio-economic implications in society. The adoption of preventive practices by the public remains the mainstay in reducing the spread of COVID-19 but there is a dearth of validated tools to assess such infection prevention practices related to pandemics. This study was conducted to develop and validate a questionnaire for the assessment of preventive practices against COVID-19 in the general population. It was done following a standardized protocol involving questionnaire development through literature review, focused group discussions, in-depth interviews, expert opinion, and pre-testing. This was followed by the validation of the questionnaire through a cross-sectional survey on 108 individuals from diverse backgrounds in New Delhi, India in July 2020. Exploratory factor analysis was used to evaluate construct validity. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The developed questionnaire for assessing preventive practices consists of two sections: the first section of 18 items to evaluate preventive practices and the second section of 19 items for assessing various reasons for deficiencies in the preventive practices. The first section has good content validity (CVR = 0.81 and S-CVI/Av = 0.97) and internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient 0.82). Thus, this questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool for the comprehensive assessment of preventive practices and barriers related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be useful in assessing the preparedness of the public and will be helpful to policymakers in designing appropriate interventions for protection against COVID-19

Proceedings of the International Conference on Frontiers in Desalination, Energy, Environment and Material Sciences for Sustainable Development

This proceeding contains articles on the various ideas of the academic community presented at the International Conference on Frontiers in Desalination, Energy, Environment and Material Sciences for Sustainable Development (FEEMSSD-2023) & Annual Congress of InDA (InDACON-2023) jointly organized by the Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology Gorakhpur, KIPM-College of Engineering and Technology Gida Gorakhpur, and Indian Desalination Association, India on 16th-17th March 2023.  FEEMSSD-2023 & InDACON-2023 focuses on addressing issues and concerns related to sustainability in all domains of Energy, Environment, Desalination, and Material Science and attempts to present the research and innovative outputs in a global platform. The conference aims to bring together leading academicians, researchers, technocrats, practitioners, and students to exchange and share their experiences and research outputs in Energy, Environment, Desalination, and Material Science.  Conference Title: International Conference on Frontiers in Desalination, Energy, Environment and Material Sciences for Sustainable Development & Annual Congress of InDAConference Acronyms: FEEMSSD-2023 & InDACON-2023Conference Date: 16th-17th March 2023Conference Location: Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology, GorakhpurConference Organizers: Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology Gorakhpur, KIPM-College of Engineering and Technology Gida Gorakhpur, and Indian Desalination Association, Indi