Implementation of Monte Carlo Simulation in Evaluation of Uncertainty of Measurement of a Force Transducer

Force transducers have prominently been utilized in numerous scientific, industrial and metrological applications since decades. They have been developed for the measurement of force in lower as well as the higher capacity to fulfil the industrial and technological requirements. Generally, a force transducer is calibrated as per standard process. For the better perceptive, there is a need of well defined calibration procedure in an organized structure according to standard ISO 376-2011. Also, factors affecting the uncertainty of measurement using law of propagation (LPU) method and their analysis have been discussed. The relative uncertainty contributions due to different factors have been explained with suitable mathematical expression. An alternative approach for evaluating uncertainty of measurement is Monte Carlo Simulation Method (MCS) that assigns probability distribution function (PDF) to input quantities and output. Efforts have been accomplished to determine uncertainty of measurement of force transducer using both methods

Implementation of Monte Carlo Simulation in Evaluation of Uncertainty of Measurement of a Force Transducer

271-276Force transducers have prominently been utilized in numerous scientific, industrial and metrological applications since decades. They have been developed for the measurement of force in lower as well as the higher capacity to fulfil the industrial and technological requirements. Generally, a force transducer is calibrated as per standard process. For the better perceptive, there is a need of well defined calibration procedure in an organized structure according to standard ISO 376-2011. Also, factors affecting the uncertainty of measurement using law of propagation (LPU) method and their analysis have been discussed. The relative uncertainty contributions due to different factors have been explained with suitable mathematical expression. An alternative approach for evaluating uncertainty of measurement is Monte Carlo Simulation Method (MCS) that assigns probability distribution function (PDF) to input quantities and output. Efforts have been accomplished to determine uncertainty of measurement of force transducer using both methods

Influence of lifestyle on oral health behavior among rural residents of Udaipur district, India

Objectives: To determine the relation of life style with dental health behavior such as tooth brushing frequency, use of extra cleansing devices and regular visits to dentist among rural residents of Udaipur district, India. Study design: The study population comprised of 1001 rural population between the ages 18 to 69 years selected by multi stage stratified cluster sampling procedure. Personal interviews were conducted by three trained interviewers who collected information on socio-demographic and lifestyle factors in addition to some aspects of dental health behavior including tooth brushing frequency, use of extra cleaning devices like dental floss and regular visits to dentist. Results: Majority of the population (63.3%) brushed their teeth once a day and only a few subjects (19.8%) brushed twice a day whereas 8.6 % never brushed their teeth. Logistic regression analysis revealed that females were more apt in every aspect of dental health behavior. House wives were more regular in brushing their teeth (OR=1.51) and using extra cleansing devices as compared to other occupation groups. Subjects who suffered from systemic disease showed negative association with use of extra cleansing devices but showed positive association with regular visits to dentist. Conclusions: The results indicate that dental health behavior is related with life style factors as well as socio-demographic variables. © Medicina Oral S. L

Doubled Haploid Technology in Maize (Zea mays): Status and Applications

Not AvailableMaize is the third most important staple crop after rice and wheat with enormous diversity and adaptation ability. Hybrid breeding is the most important approach for developing high yielding cultivars in maize. It relies upon the generation of pure inbred lines with desirable traits in quick span to achieve higher genetic gains. The rapidly rising global population and climate change necessitates the development of innovative technologies that can help to safeguard the food security in future. Doubled Haploid (DH) technology is the best approach for rapid development of new inbred lines. DH technology has contributed immensely in the rapid generation of inbred lines and hybrid development. In addition, the use of molecular markers with DH technology resulted into mapping of genomic regions for different traits. The recent development in identification of alternative markers for haploid selection and genome editing approaches will further strengthen the DH technology for commercial maize breeding. This review describes important landmarks of maize DH technology, its applications, and recent advances in utilization of emerging technologies, viz. CRIPSR-cas and genomics approaches for DH technology.Not Availabl

Design and development of an additive manufactured force transducer

This paper discusses the design and development of an additive manufactured force transducer for force measurement applications. The force transducer is of square ring shape and dimensions have been evaluated in accordance to available literature. Fused filament fabrication technique has been adopted for fabrication of the force transducer and strain gauges have been applied at defined location in form of a Wheatstone bride. Efforts regarding metrological characterization are underway and successful demonstration of the force transducer will define a new development in the direction of force transducers

Design and development of an additive manufactured force transducer

897-900This paper discusses the design and development of an additive manufactured force transducer for force measurement applications. The force transducer is of square ring shape and dimensions have been evaluated in accordance to available literature. Fused filament fabrication technique has been adopted for fabrication of the force transducer and strain gauges have been applied at defined location in form of a Wheatstone bride. Efforts regarding metrological characterization are underway and successful demonstration of the force transducer will define a new development in the direction of force transducers

The role of plant growth promoting bacteria on arsenic removal: a review of existing perspectives

Phytobial remediation is an innovative tool that uses plants and microbes to mitigate Arsenic (As) contamination of the environment. Recently, plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) that assists phytoremediation has been highly touted for both improving plant metal tolerance and promoting plant growth while achieving the goal of large-scale removal of As. This review focuses on the PGPB characteristics influencing plants and the mechanisms in which they function to overcome/lessen As-induced adversities. Several recent examples of mechanisms responsible for increasing the availability of As to plants and coping with As stresses facilitated by PGPB will be reviewed. Although drawbacks to phytoremediation have been reported, encouraging results have been developed with regular monitoring. Introducing PGPB-assisted phytoremediation of As in a field requires an assessment of the environmental effects of PGPB, especially with respect to the impacts on indigenous bacteria

Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950–2021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Estimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 provides new demographic estimates for 204 countries and territories and 811 additional subnational locations from 1950 to 2021, with a particular emphasis on changes in mortality and life expectancy that occurred during the 2020–21 COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods: 22 223 data sources from vital registration, sample registration, surveys, censuses, and other sources were used to estimate mortality, with a subset of these sources used exclusively to estimate excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2026 data sources were used for population estimation. Additional sources were used to estimate migration; the effects of the HIV epidemic; and demographic discontinuities due to conflicts, famines, natural disasters, and pandemics, which are used as inputs for estimating mortality and population. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate under-5 mortality rates, which synthesised 30 763 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 1365 surveys and censuses, and 80 other sources. ST-GPR was also used to estimate adult mortality (between ages 15 and 59 years) based on information from 31 642 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 355 surveys and censuses, and 24 other sources. Estimates of child and adult mortality rates were then used to generate life tables with a relational model life table system. For countries with large HIV epidemics, life tables were adjusted using independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated via an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys, antenatal clinic serosurveillance, and other data sources. Excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 was determined by subtracting observed all-cause mortality (adjusted for late registration and mortality anomalies) from the mortality expected in the absence of the pandemic. Expected mortality was calculated based on historical trends using an ensemble of models. In location-years where all-cause mortality data were unavailable, we estimated excess mortality rates using a regression model with covariates pertaining to the pandemic. Population size was computed using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model. Life expectancy was calculated using age-specific mortality rates and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were calculated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered values from a 1000-draw posterior distribution. Findings: Global all-cause mortality followed two distinct patterns over the study period: age-standardised mortality rates declined between 1950 and 2019 (a 62·8% [95% UI 60·5–65·1] decline), and increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020–21; 5·1% [0·9–9·6] increase). In contrast with the overall reverse in mortality trends during the pandemic period, child mortality continued to decline, with 4·66 million (3·98–5·50) global deaths in children younger than 5 years in 2021 compared with 5·21 million (4·50–6·01) in 2019. An estimated 131 million (126–137) people died globally from all causes in 2020 and 2021 combined, of which 15·9 million (14·7–17·2) were due to the COVID-19 pandemic (measured by excess mortality, which includes deaths directly due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and those indirectly due to other social, economic, or behavioural changes associated with the pandemic). Excess mortality rates exceeded 150 deaths per 100 000 population during at least one year of the pandemic in 80 countries and territories, whereas 20 nations had a negative excess mortality rate in 2020 or 2021, indicating that all-cause mortality in these countries was lower during the pandemic than expected based on historical trends. Between 1950 and 2021, global life expectancy at birth increased by 22·7 years (20·8–24·8), from 49·0 years (46·7–51·3) to 71·7 years (70·9–72·5). Global life expectancy at birth declined by 1·6 years (1·0–2·2) between 2019 and 2021, reversing historical trends. An increase in life expectancy was only observed in 32 (15·7%) of 204 countries and territories between 2019 and 2021. The global population reached 7·89 billion (7·67–8·13) people in 2021, by which time 56 of 204 countries and territories had peaked and subsequently populations have declined. The largest proportion of population growth between 2020 and 2021 was in sub-Saharan Africa (39·5% [28·4–52·7]) and south Asia (26·3% [9·0–44·7]). From 2000 to 2021, the ratio of the population aged 65 years and older to the population aged younger than 15 years increased in 188 (92·2%) of 204 nations. Interpretation: Global adult mortality rates markedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, reversing past decreasing trends, while child mortality rates continued to decline, albeit more slowly than in earlier years. Although COVID-19 had a substantial impact on many demographic indicators during the first 2 years of the pandemic, overall global health progress over the 72 years evaluated has been profound, with considerable improvements in mortality and life expectancy. Additionally, we observed a deceleration of global population growth since 2017, despite steady or increasing growth in lower-income countries, combined with a continued global shift of population age structures towards older ages. These demographic changes will likely present future challenges to health systems, economies, and societies. The comprehensive demographic estimates reported here will enable researchers, policy makers, health practitioners, and other key stakeholders to better understand and address the profound changes that have occurred in the global health landscape following the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and longer-term trends beyond the pandemic

Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950–2021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND: Estimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 provides new demographic estimates for 204 countries and territories and 811 additional subnational locations from 1950 to 2021, with a particular emphasis on changes in mortality and life expectancy that occurred during the 2020–21 COVID-19 pandemic period. METHODS: 22 223 data sources from vital registration, sample registration, surveys, censuses, and other sources were used to estimate mortality, with a subset of these sources used exclusively to estimate excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2026 data sources were used for population estimation. Additional sources were used to estimate migration; the effects of the HIV epidemic; and demographic discontinuities due to conflicts, famines, natural disasters, and pandemics, which are used as inputs for estimating mortality and population. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate under-5 mortality rates, which synthesised 30 763 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 1365 surveys and censuses, and 80 other sources. ST-GPR was also used to estimate adult mortality (between ages 15 and 59 years) based on information from 31 642 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 355 surveys and censuses, and 24 other sources. Estimates of child and adult mortality rates were then used to generate life tables with a relational model life table system. For countries with large HIV epidemics, life tables were adjusted using independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated via an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys, antenatal clinic serosurveillance, and other data sources. Excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 was determined by subtracting observed all-cause mortality (adjusted for late registration and mortality anomalies) from the mortality expected in the absence of the pandemic. Expected mortality was calculated based on historical trends using an ensemble of models. In location-years where all-cause mortality data were unavailable, we estimated excess mortality rates using a regression model with covariates pertaining to the pandemic. Population size was computed using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model. Life expectancy was calculated using age-specific mortality rates and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were calculated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered values from a 1000-draw posterior distribution. FINDINGS: Global all-cause mortality followed two distinct patterns over the study period: age-standardised mortality rates declined between 1950 and 2019 (a 62·8% [95% UI 60·5–65·1] decline), and increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020–21; 5·1% [0·9–9·6] increase). In contrast with the overall reverse in mortality trends during the pandemic period, child mortality continued to decline, with 4·66 million (3·98–5·50) global deaths in children younger than 5 years in 2021 compared with 5·21 million (4·50–6·01) in 2019. An estimated 131 million (126–137) people died globally from all causes in 2020 and 2021 combined, of which 15·9 million (14·7–17·2) were due to the COVID-19 pandemic (measured by excess mortality, which includes deaths directly due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and those indirectly due to other social, economic, or behavioural changes associated with the pandemic). Excess mortality rates exceeded 150 deaths per 100 000 population during at least one year of the pandemic in 80 countries and territories, whereas 20 nations had a negative excess mortality rate in 2020 or 2021, indicating that all-cause mortality in these countries was lower during the pandemic than expected based on historical trends. Between 1950 and 2021, global life expectancy at birth increased by 22·7 years (20·8–24·8), from 49·0 years (46·7–51·3) to 71·7 years (70·9–72·5). Global life expectancy at birth declined by 1·6 years (1·0–2·2) between 2019 and 2021, reversing historical trends. An increase in life expectancy was only observed in 32 (15·7%) of 204 countries and territories between 2019 and 2021. The global population reached 7·89 billion (7·67–8·13) people in 2021, by which time 56 of 204 countries and territories had peaked and subsequently populations have declined. The largest proportion of population growth between 2020 and 2021 was in sub-Saharan Africa (39·5% [28·4–52·7]) and south Asia (26·3% [9·0–44·7]). From 2000 to 2021, the ratio of the population aged 65 years and older to the population aged younger than 15 years increased in 188 (92·2%) of 204 nations. INTERPRETATION: Global adult mortality rates markedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, reversing past decreasing trends, while child mortality rates continued to decline, albeit more slowly than in earlier years. Although COVID-19 had a substantial impact on many demographic indicators during the first 2 years of the pandemic, overall global health progress over the 72 years evaluated has been profound, with considerable improvements in mortality and life expectancy. Additionally, we observed a deceleration of global population growth since 2017, despite steady or increasing growth in lower-income countries, combined with a continued global shift of population age structures towards older ages. These demographic changes will likely present future challenges to health systems, economies, and societies. The comprehensive demographic estimates reported here will enable researchers, policy makers, health practitioners, and other key stakeholders to better understand and address the profound changes that have occurred in the global health landscape following the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and longer-term trends beyond the pandemic. FUNDING: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Graphene-oxide coating for corrosion protection of iron particles in saline water

The corrosion resistance behavior of graphene oxide (GO) sheets-coated carbonyl iron (CI) microspheres (GO/p-CI sample) was investigated and compared with that of bare CI particles. The GO coating on the CI particles was achieved by utilizing 4-aminobenzoic acid as grafting agent. The cyclic voltammetry of the electrode containing this GO/p-CI sample in 1 mol/L KCI solution does not show any oxidation-peak in contrast to that of the bare carbonyl iron (CI) containing electrode. The charge transfer resistance of GO/p-CI sample was measured to be higher than that of bare Cl. The corrosion-potential shifts towards the positive potential direction confirming higher passivity/less corrosive nature of the GO/p-CI sample. Furthermore, the corrosion-current of GO/p-CI sample was lower than that of the bare CI particles. Our results confirm the passivity and excellent corrosion protection behavior of the GO coating on iron structures. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved