Experimental Evaluation and Performance of Window Air Conditioner by Using Pre-Cooled Air in Condenser

Reduction of energy consumption is a major concern in the vapor compression refrigeration cycle especially in the area with very hot weather conditions (about 50 ºC), where window-air conditioners are usually used to cool homes. Research programs in order to improve the performance of window-air-conditioners by enhancing heat transfer rate in the condenser. In this system air is cooled outside the window air conditioner, and this cold air is fed over the condenser tubes. After to this greater amount of heat rejected from refrigerant vapor and low condensation pressure is obtained, which in turn increase Coefficient of performance (COP) of air conditioner. Air is pre-cooled in a device, in which atmospheric air is directly contact with water which comes from top of the device in fine droplets. Due to contact between air-water, air is cooled and passes to air conditioner. Practical performance shows that, by this arrangement reduces power consumption and improving performance of air-conditioner

Sociodemographic Correlates of Tobacco Consumption in Rural Gujarat, India

Background. The purpose of this study was to examine occupation-, education-, and gender-specific patterns of tobacco use and knowledge of its health effects among 23,953 rural Asian Indians ≥18 years in Gujarat. Methodology. A statewide, community-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted in 26 districts of Gujarat (December 2010–May 2015), using face-to-face interviews by trained community health workers called SEVAKS. Results. Mean age was 39.8 ± 15.2 years. Eighteen percent of respondents used tobacco in various forms. Tobacco consumption was significantly higher among males (32%), 18–34 years’ age group (35%), those who were self-employed (72%), and those with elementary education (40%). The prevalence was 11 times higher among males than females (95% CI = 9.78, 13.13). Adjusted ORs for tobacco use showed strong gradient by age and educational level; consumption was lower among the illiterates and higher for older participants (≥55 years). Tobacco consumption also varied by occupation; that is, those who were self-employed and employed for wages were more likely to use tobacco than those who were unemployed. Knowledge of health effects of tobacco lowered the odds of consumption by 30–40%. Conclusions. Effective educational programs should be tailored by gender, to improve knowledge of health risks and dispel myths on perceived benefits of tobacco

Comparative study of platelet indices in cirrhosis, cirrhosis with sepsis and normal population

Background: Platelet indices are the first hematologic indices to be affected in cirrhosis. Cirrhosis patients are particularly susceptible to bacterial infections. The incidence of sepsis in cirrhosis is estimated to be at least 30-50% of hospital admissions. Sepsis also causes alterations in platelet indices. We studied and compared the platelet indices namely platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW) and platecrit in cirrhosis, cirrhosis with sepsis and normal control population.Methods: This observational study included forty cirrhosis, forty three cirrhosis with sepsis and sixty one controls. Platelet indices were reviewed and compared between the groups and correlation of platelet indices with CTP score, MELD, platelet count and spleen size was also evaluated.Results: Platelet indices were significantly altered in cirrhosis compared to normal population. MPV and PDW were significantly higher in cirrhosis compared to control population. Platelet count and platecrit were significantly lower in cirrhosis compared to control population. CTP score and MELD showed significant positive correlation with MPV and platelet count showed significant negative correlation with PD. Sepsis in cirrhosis was associated with significant decrease in platelet count and platecrit but caused significant increase in PDW compared to cirrhosis without sepsis. Cirrhosis with sepsis group had four patients with variceal bleeding with significantly higher mean PDW(19%) and significantly lower mean platecrit (0.04) compared to nonbleeding group (p value <0.05).Conclusions: Platelet indices are useful parameters in cirrhosis. Other than platelet count, PDW and platecrit are useful indices to be monitored in cirrhosis with sepsis

CONCEPT OF IMPROVING STRENGTH IN AYURVEDA W.S.R IMUNITY

Ayurveda is the science of human health and disease. It deals with comfort, discomfort, physiological and pathological aspect of life. The word immunity means the strength of protecting from infectious diseases. The immune system evolved as defense system to protect body from invading pathological microorganisms and malignant diseases. Strong immunity is the key for maintaining stability in health with the changing season. Vyadhikshamatva is described in Ayurveda and this concept is considered equivalent to immunity. Normal condition of kapha, Bala and ojas are also similar to immunity. Vyadhikshamatva literally means resistance (ksamatva) against disease (vyadhi). Physical and mental resistance to disease is of enormous significance for all living being, it regulates both prevention against and rapid recovery from diseases. Ojas is final and excellence of the product dhatu and vyadhiksamatva depends on it. Innate immunity may be correlated to sahajabala and kalajabala may be correlated to acquired immunity. Here is a review of Ayurvedic texts regarding immunity and concept of Vyadhiksamatva which depends on normal dosa, equilibrium state of dhatu, normal agnibala and ojas etc

A retrospective study on ectopic pregnancy: incidence, clinical presentation, risk factors, treatment and morbidity and mortality associated with ectopic pregnancy- one year study

Background: Diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy was frequently missed and rising trend in incidence of ectopic pregnancies necessitates awareness about risk factors, resultant morbidity and mortality. to determine the incidence, clinical presentation, risk factors, treatment and morbidity and mortality associated with ectopic pregnancy. Aims and Objectives were to determine the incidence, clinical presentation, risk factors, treatment and morbidity and mortality associated with ectopic pregnancy. Methods: Retrospective analysis of ectopic pregnancy was done in Government Medical College Baroda, from September 2021 to August 2022. The following parameters: age, parity, gestational age, risk factors, clinical presentation, diagnostic methods, mode of treatment and morbidity were noted. Results: Out of 7521 deliveries, 74 were ectopic pregnancies (0.98 %). Women with age 20-30 years had highest incidence (62.16%) and with least below 20 years (4%). Ectopic pregnancies were common in multiparous women (78.3%) than primigravida (21.62%). Common symptoms: abdominal pain (82.4%), amennorhea (78.4%), bleeding per vaginum (63.3%), adenexal tenderness (46.2), asymptomatic (12%) patients. Urine pregnancy test positive in 96.4%. Etiology was pelvic infection (15.78%), infertility (7.01%), previous ectopic (8.33%), contraception failure (8.71%), surgeries including LSCS and tubal surgeries (4%). Right sided ectopic was more common. Site of ectopic was common in fallopian tube- ampullary region (88%), cornu (4%) followed by others (8%) then caesarean scar, rudimentary horn pregnancy. About 81.08% of ectopic was ruptured, 3/4th of these patients presented with shock at the time of presentation. Tubal abortions were seen in 4.01% of patients. Most of cases being ruptured ectopic pregnancies, salpingectomy in 72.9% and salpingo-opherectomy in 6.7%. Morbidity was blood transfusion (76.31%), wound complications 4.38 and no mortality. Conclusions: Early diagnosis, identifying of underlying risk factors and timely intervention in the form of conservative or surgical treatment will help in reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with ectopic pregnancy

Supersymmetry of Noncompact MQCD-like Membrane Instantons and Heat Kernel Asymptotics

We perform a heat kernel asymptotics analysis of the nonperturbative superpotential obtained from wrapping of an M2-brane around a supersymmetric noncompact three-fold embedded in a (noncompact) G_2-manifold as obtained in [1], the three-fold being the one relevant to domain walls in Witten's MQCD [2], in the limit of small "zeta", a complex constant that appears in the Riemann surfaces relevant to defining the boundary conditions for the domain wall in MQCD. The MQCD-like configuration is interpretable, for small but non-zero zeta as a noncompact/"large" open membrane instanton, and for vanishing zeta, as the type IIA D0-brane (for vanishing M-theory cicle radius). We find that the eta-function Seeley de-Witt coefficients vanish, and we get a perfect match between the zeta-function Seeley de-Witt coefficients (up to terms quadratic in zeta) between the Dirac-type operator and one of the two Laplace-type operators figuring in the superpotential. This is an extremely strong signature of residual supersymmetry for the nonperturbative configurations in M-theory considered in this work.Comment: 21 pages, LaTeX; v3: several clarifying remarks added, to appear in JHE

Pom1 gradient buffering through intermolecular auto-phosphorylation.

Concentration gradients provide spatial information for tissue patterning and cell organization, and their robustness under natural fluctuations is an evolutionary advantage. In rod-shaped Schizosaccharomyces pombe cells, the DYRK-family kinase Pom1 gradients control cell division timing and placement. Upon dephosphorylation by a Tea4-phosphatase complex, Pom1 associates with the plasma membrane at cell poles, where it diffuses and detaches upon auto-phosphorylation. Here, we demonstrate that Pom1 auto-phosphorylates intermolecularly, both in vitro and in vivo, which confers robustness to the gradient. Quantitative imaging reveals this robustness through two system's properties: The Pom1 gradient amplitude is inversely correlated with its decay length and is buffered against fluctuations in Tea4 levels. A theoretical model of Pom1 gradient formation through intermolecular auto-phosphorylation predicts both properties qualitatively and quantitatively. This provides a telling example where gradient robustness through super-linear decay, a principle hypothesized a decade ago, is achieved through autocatalysis. Concentration-dependent autocatalysis may be a widely used simple feedback to buffer biological activities

Fabrication of optical waveguides in RbTiOPO4 single crystals by using different techniques

M.A. Butt, M.C. Pujol, R. Solé, A. Ródenas, G. Lifante, M. Aguiló, F. Díaz, S. N. Khonina, R. V. Skidanov and Payal Verma, "Fabrication of optical waveguides in RbTiOPO4 single crystals by using different techniques", XIII International Scientific and Technical Conference on Optical Technologies in Telecommunications,SPIE 9807 (26 March, 2016): doi: 10.1117/12.2231368. One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper are prohibitedProceedings of XIII International Scientific and Technical Conference on Optical Technologies in Telecommunications Conference (Ufa, Russian Federation)In this work, we have demonstrated the use of different technologies to fabricate straight channel waveguides, S-bend waveguides, Y-splitter and Mach -Zehnder (MZ) structures on RbTiOPO 4 crystals and its isomorphs. We used reactive ion etching (RIE), inductively coupled plasma-RIE (ICP-RIE), femtosecond pulse laser micro-fabrication and ion diffusion techniques to structure these crystals. Computer simulations have been carried out and compared with the optical characterization of the waveguides which are in agreement with each other.This work is supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Russian Science Foundation (grant No. 14-19-00114), Spanish Government under Projects MAT2011-29255-C02-02, TEC2014-55948-R, MAT2013-47395, C4-4-R/1-R and by the Catalan Authority under Project 2014SGR135

Enabling precision medicine in neonatology, an integrated repository for preterm birth research.

Preterm birth, or the delivery of an infant prior to 37 weeks of gestation, is a significant cause of infant morbidity and mortality. In the last decade, the advent and continued development of molecular profiling technologies has enabled researchers to generate vast amount of 'omics' data, which together with integrative computational approaches, can help refine the current knowledge about disease mechanisms, diagnostics, and therapeutics. Here we describe the March of Dimes' Database for Preterm Birth Research (http://www.immport.org/resources/mod), a unique resource that contains a variety of 'omics' datasets related to preterm birth. The database is open publicly, and as of January 2018, links 13 molecular studies with data across tens of thousands of patients from 6 measurement modalities. The data in the repository are highly diverse and include genomic, transcriptomic, immunological, and microbiome data. Relevant datasets are augmented with additional molecular characterizations of almost 25,000 biological samples from public databases. We believe our data-sharing efforts will lead to enhanced research collaborations and coordination accelerating the overall pace of discovery in preterm birth research

The Practitioner\u27s Guide to Global Health: an interactive, online, open-access curriculum preparing medical learners for global health experiences

BACKGROUND: Short-term experiences in global health (STEGH) are increasingly common in medical education, as they can provide learners with opportunities for service, learning, and sharing perspectives. Academic institutions need high-quality preparatory curricula and mentorship to prepare learners for potential challenges in ethics, cultural sensitivity, and personal safety; however, availability and quality of these are variable. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to create and evaluate an open-access, interactive massive open online course (MOOC) that prepares learners to safely and effectively participate in STEGH, permits flexible and asynchronous learning, is free of charge, and provides a certificate upon successful completion. METHODS: Global health experts from 8 countries, 42 institutions, and 7 specialties collaborated to create The Practitioner\u27s Guide to Global Health (PGGH): the first course of this kind on the edX platform. Demographic data, pre- and posttests, and course evaluations were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Within its first year, PGGH enrolled 5935 learners from 163 countries. In a limited sample of 109 learners, mean posttest scores were significantly improved (p \u3c 0.01). In the course\u27s second year, 213 sampled learners had significant improvement (p \u3c 0.001). CONCLUSION: We created and evaluated the first interactive, asynchronous, free-of-charge global health preparation MOOC. The course has had significant interest from US-based and international learners, and posttest scores have shown significant improvement