Maximizing information for evaluation of incident management systems with an emphasis on secondary accidents

DissertationIncident management is the process of mitigating the effects of traffic incidents via quick and effective response, thus reducing the congestion and the potential for secondary accidents. The evaluation of incident management system (IMS) is challenging and data intensive since incident occurrence and location cannot be predicted. But secondary accidents which occur due to the primary incident offer a window into how effective the incident management system is working. Lower the number of secondary incidents indicates an effective IMS. This research shows by maximizing the incident information i.e. traffic volumes, travel times, roadway capacity, incident progression curves; one can accurately understand the impact of incidents and the number of secondary incidents. This research will help government agencies in fine tuning their IMS policies and components by their returned value

Steady State 1D Modeling of PEM Fuel Cell and Characterization of Gas Diffusion Layer

In this work, a steady-state, one-dimensional model was developed for the cathode side of the PEM fuel cell. The model results compared well with available literature results. The effects of operating temperature, cathode gas pressure, cathode gas porosity, and membrane thickness were studied. Carbon materials used for the gas diffusion layer (GDL) were characterized. The materials were: untreated and Teflon-treated carbon paper and untreated and Teflon-treated carbon cloth. Physisorption data were analyzed using the BET and the BJH methods to determine surface area and pore size distribution. Capillary flow porometry measurements provided the bubble point, mean flow, and smallest pore diameters and pore size distribution. Gas permeability measurements were performed. Mercury/non-mercury intrusion porosimetry measurements were performed to obtain pore size distribution and cumulative pore volume. The microstructure structure of the materials was examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy. The elemental composition of the samples was measured using Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy

UNDERSTANDING CLARIFICATION OF SWEET ORANGE JUICE BY MICROFILTRATION AND FOULING BEHAVIOUR

Sweet orange is a important citrus fruit grown throughout the world as it rich in phytonutrients properties and excellent source of vitamin C.  The conventional clarification process involves more costs with personnel, equipment, and physical space. As an alternative, microfiltration (MF) has been applied in fruit juices for clarification. Clarification of sweet orange juice was carried out by microfiltration process using 0.2 µm size cellulose acetate MF membrane in a stirred cell. Flux decline was majorly due to deposits formed with soluble and suspended fraction of pectin, proteins and fibers, forming a low methoxy gel layer on membrane surface causing fouling during clarification. Long term flux decline was dictated by intermediate pore blocking in combination with growth of gel layer over the membrane surface. Reversible resistance was considered as domineering resistance and therefore, 90% of original permeate flux was recovered by following proper washing protocol to clean membranes. It was noticed that most of the total soluble solids (TSS), pH and vitamin C expressed as ascorbic acid of the feed were recovered in the permeate after filtration and there was no loss of the important properties pertaining to sweet orange juice

Very late (>5 years) thrombus formation on an atrial septal defect device: a case report

Though percutaneous transcatheter atrial septal defect closure with newer generation occluder devices is a standard treatment at present, these devices have significant long-term risks (>1 year) associated with such as thrombus formation. Here, we present a case of 28 year-old patient presented with few symptoms and had a history of ASD device closure using amplatzer septal occluder device five years back. The patient was found to have a large thrombus (30×33 mm) attached to the device which was managed using anticoagulants and patients was advised for regular echocardiographic follow-up

Membrane fouling during microfiltration of protein solutions : thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, New Zealand

Membrane fouling during cross-flow microfiltration (CFMF) of proteins is complex depending upon feed properties, operating conditions and membrane properties. Four different protein solutions (reconstituted whey protein, BSA, lactoferrin and ferritin) with a range of physicochemical properties were investigated at a variety of permeate fluxes under different solution conditions to elucidate fouling mechanisms during constant flux CFMF. MF fouling usually occurs in three stages: i) adsorption ii) pore fouling (pore plugging or deposition near the pore entrance) and iii) formation of a surface layer. The importance of step (ii) depends upon whether a protein is completely or partially permeable through the membrane. BSA probably fouled internally first by pore plugging followed by formation of a surface layer once all the pores were plugged. Prefiltration and the presence of SDS reduced fouling but did not prevent it, suggesting that aggregates present in the initial feed as well as those formed during MF contribute to pore plugging and so lead to severe fouling. Fouling resistance curves for lactoferrin indicate an initial phase of slow fouling by plugging or deposition of aggregates. Mathematical modelling suggested that fouling was particularly severe at the pore entrance. As flux was increased, lactoferrin formed a concentration-induced surface layer. Ferritin formed a concentration-induced gel layer even at relatively low fluxes (≥91 L/m2.h) when the wall concentration of protein reached the "gel concentration". The gel layer was highly reversible to changes in hydrodynamic conditions such as cross-flow velocity and transmembrane pressure. Fouling was more severe with reconstituted whey than with fresh whey due to the presence of protein aggregates in the reconstituted whey. The role of the physicochemical properties of proteins in aggregation and probable fouling mechanisms during CFMF are discussed. Protein-protein interactions under the influence of shear particularly at higher fluxes lead to aggregation and subsequent fouling

Multiresolution Time-Frequency Analysis For Detection And Classification Of Power Quality Disturbances

Power quality is an important issue for developed nations under deregulated power industry where the quality and reliability of power supply is utmost important in daily life. Poor quality is attributed to the various power line disturbances like voltage sag, swell, impulsive and oscillatory transients, multiple notches, momentary interruptions, harmonic and voltage flicker, etc. In order to improve the quality of electrical power it is customary to continuously record the disturbance waveforms using power-monitoring instruments. Unfortunately, most of these recorders rely on visual inspection of data record creating an unprecedented volume of data to be inspected by engineers

COVID-19-related stigma towards doctors in India: an online cross-sectional study

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to worry and panic in the minds of people all over the world. Consequently, doctors and other frontline healthcare workers have become a target of stigma in the society. In spite of the Indian government appreciating doctors and healthcare workers with gestures, such as an aerial floral salute and asking the citizens to maintain a positive attitude toward doctors, several people are looking down at doctors as probable virus carriers and treating them as a potential threat to the general public. Aims: To assess stigma and discrimination faced by doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic and their psychological wellbeing. Materials and methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted on doctors, with convenience sampling technique used to collect data. The study tools were presented in Google forms, and the link was circulated by an exponential non-discriminative snowballing method through doctors’ WhatsApp groups across several states of the country. The study tools included participant information sheet, informed consent form, sociodemographic proforma, a self-designed questionnaire related to stigma and discrimination, and the World Health Organization (Five) Well-Being Index (WHO-5). Results: Three hundred and fifty-six (69.94%) out of 509 doctors reported that they had experienced stigma from the society and their families. 95.5% doctors reported that they are proud of their profession despite experiencing stigma. 58.2% doctors reported that they have received appreciation from the society for their work. 5.6% doctors reported that stigma had a serious impact on their wellbeing. Conclusion: The study results show that majority of doctors are facing stigma and discrimination. Addressing stigma and discrimination faced by doctors and other frontline healthcare workers is significant in fighting this pandemic