A study of the symptoms of gastro oesophageal reflux disease and the associated risk factors in a tertiary care centre

Background: Gastro esophageal reflux disease is the commonest pathologies encountered by gastroenterologist in day to day practice. Longstanding and untreated gastro esophageal reflux disease can lead to many complications including adenocarcinoma. This study was conducted to evaluate the various symptoms and to analyze the lifestyle and dietary factors influencing gastro esophageal reflux disease which can be modified.Methods: Hundred patients with gastro-esophageal reflux disease of age more than 18 years were enrolled in the study. Various patient details including demographic details, lifestyle information and symptomatology data were analyzed and compared with complications.Results: Mean age of gastro esophageal reflux disease patients was 56.09±15.93 years. Gastro esophageal reflux disease is more prevalent in males than females. Gastro esophageal reflux disease is more frequent in BMI <25, greater number of co morbidities and in non-vegetarians.  Mean age of gastro esophageal reflux disease with complications was 67±11.53 years and without complications was 52.64±15.57 years. No strong association of smoking, alcohol, spicy foods, fried foods, citrus fruits, heavy meals, tea/coffee, aerated drinks, sleep disturbance and effect on work was identified in gastro esophageal reflux disease.Conclusions: Classical symptoms of gastro esophageal reflux disease were not present in all the patients. Higher age of the patient infers higher risk of complications. Daily episodes of heartburn, regurgitation and retrosternal chest pain implies higher risk of complications. Presence of Helicobacter pylori in gastro esophageal reflux disease patients signify higher risk of complications

Exploration of Optimal Powertrain Design Using Realistic Load Profiles

The electrification of bus-based public transportation contributes to the goal of reducing the adverse environmental impacts caused by urban transportation. However, the penetration of electric vehicles has been slow due to their lower vehicle range and total costs in comparison to vehicles driven by internal combustion engines. By improving the powertrain efficiency, the total costs can be reduced for the same vehicle range. Therefore, this paper proposes a holistic design exploration approach to investigate and identify the optimal powertrain concept for electric city buses based on the component costs and energy consumption costs. The load profiles of speed, slope, and passenger occupancy profiles are derived for a selected bus route in Singapore, which is used in a powertrain design exploration for a 30-passenger vehicle. Six different powertrain architectures are analyzed, together with single and multi-speed gearbox configurations, to identify the optimal powertrain architecture and the resulting component sizes. The powertrain configurations are further analyzed in terms of their influence on the vehicle characteristics and total costs. Multi-motor configurations were found to have better vehicle characteristics and lower total costs in comparison to single rear motor configurations. Concepts with motors on the front and a rear axle could shift the load points to a higher efficiency region, resulting in lower energy consumption and energy costs. The optimal powertrain concept was a fixed-speed two-motor configuration, with a booster motor on the front axle and a motor on the rear axle. Document type: Articl

Economic Assessment of Autonomous Electric Microtransit Vehicles

There is rapidly growing interest in autonomous electric vehicles due to their potential in improving safety, accessibility, and environmental outcomes. However, their market penetration rate is dependent on costs. Use of autonomous electric vehicles for shared-use mobility may improve their cost competitiveness. So far, most of the research has focused on the cost impact of autonomy on taxis and ridesourcing services. Singapore is planning for island-wide deployment of autonomous vehicles for both scheduled and on-demand services as part of their transit system in the year 2030. TUMCREATE developed an autonomous electric vehicle concept, a microtransit vehicle with 30-passenger capacity, which can complement the existing bus transit system. This study aims to determine the cost of autonomous electric microtransit vehicles and compare them to those of buses. A total cost of ownership (TCO) approach was used to compare the lifecycle costs. It was shown that although the acquisition costs of autonomous electric vehicles are higher than those of their conventional counterparts, they can reduce the TCO per passenger-km up to 75% and 60% compared to their conventional counterparts and buses, respectively. Document type: Articl

Empirical Models of Manufacturer-Retailer Interaction: A Review and Agenda for Future Research

The nature of the interaction between manufacturers and retailers has received a great deal of empirical attention in the last 15 years. One major line of empirical research examines the balance of power between them and ranges from reduced form models quantifying aggregate profit and other related trends for manufacturers and retailers to structural models that test alternative forms of manufacturer-retailer pricing interaction. A second line of research addresses the sources of leverage for each party, e.g., trade promotions and their pass-through, customer information from loyalty programs, manufacturer advertising, productassortment in general, and private label assortment in particular. The purpose of this article is to synthesize what has been learnt about the nature of the interaction between manufacturers and retailers and the effectiveness of each party’s sources of leverage and to highlight gaps in our knowledge that future research should attempt to fill

カソウクウカンニオケルデンドウジドウウンテンバスノタメノコウセイブヒンセッケイトシャリョウパッケージング

博士（工学）東京農工大

Exploration of Optimal Powertrain Design Using Realistic Load Profiles

The electrification of bus-based public transportation contributes to the goal of reducing the adverse environmental impacts caused by urban transportation. However, the penetration of electric vehicles has been slow due to their lower vehicle range and total costs in comparison to vehicles driven by internal combustion engines. By improving the powertrain efficiency, the total costs can be reduced for the same vehicle range. Therefore, this paper proposes a holistic design exploration approach to investigate and identify the optimal powertrain concept for electric city buses based on the component costs and energy consumption costs. The load profiles of speed, slope, and passenger occupancy profiles are derived for a selected bus route in Singapore, which is used in a powertrain design exploration for a 30-passenger vehicle. Six different powertrain architectures are analyzed, together with single and multi-speed gearbox configurations, to identify the optimal powertrain architecture and the resulting component sizes. The powertrain configurations are further analyzed in terms of their influence on the vehicle characteristics and total costs. Multi-motor configurations were found to have better vehicle characteristics and lower total costs in comparison to single rear motor configurations. Concepts with motors on the front and a rear axle could shift the load points to a higher efficiency region, resulting in lower energy consumption and energy costs. The optimal powertrain concept was a fixed-speed two-motor configuration, with a booster motor on the front axle and a motor on the rear axle

RAPD markers for screening shoot gall maker (Betousa stylophora Swinhoe) tolerant genotypes of amla (Phyllanthus emblica L.)

Phyllanthus emblica Linn. is the most important medicinally useful tree crop in Asian Subcontinent and is severely infested by Betousa stylophora Swinhoe, known as shoot gall maker (SGM). This pest tunnels the shoots of seedlings and actively growing branches of trees and develops gall, leading to stunted growth, unusual branching and death of actively growing shoots. Our study revealed that trees possessing smooth bark were free from the attack of this pest than those with rough bark surface. Unfortunately, this character is not detectable either at seedling stage or during early growth of trees in the orchard. RAPD genetic fingerprinting of trees possessing smooth and rough bark revealed distinguishable and highly reproducible DNA banding pattern between the two genotypes. Of the 20 RAPD primers tested, five of them produced distinguishable RAPD bands between rough and smooth barked genotypes of P. emblica. Trees with smooth bark produced five unique RAPD bands with molecular weight ranging from 350 bp to 1500 bp and those with rough bark produced six RAPD bands (350 bp–650 bp) to utilize these DNA bands as potential DNA marker for screening tolerant genotypes of this crop against SGM. The utility of this finding in genetic improvement of this tree crop against SGM is discussed

Economic Assessment of Autonomous Electric Microtransit Vehicles

There is rapidly growing interest in autonomous electric vehicles due to their potential in improving safety, accessibility, and environmental outcomes. However, their market penetration rate is dependent on costs. Use of autonomous electric vehicles for shared-use mobility may improve their cost competitiveness. So far, most of the research has focused on the cost impact of autonomy on taxis and ridesourcing services. Singapore is planning for island-wide deployment of autonomous vehicles for both scheduled and on-demand services as part of their transit system in the year 2030. TUMCREATE developed an autonomous electric vehicle concept, a microtransit vehicle with 30-passenger capacity, which can complement the existing bus transit system. This study aims to determine the cost of autonomous electric microtransit vehicles and compare them to those of buses. A total cost of ownership (TCO) approach was used to compare the lifecycle costs. It was shown that although the acquisition costs of autonomous electric vehicles are higher than those of their conventional counterparts, they can reduce the TCO per passenger-km up to 75% and 60% compared to their conventional counterparts and buses, respectively

AJWAIN SEEDS AS CAPPING AGENT FOR Bi2O3 NANOFLAKES: SYNTHESIS AND GROWTH INHIBITING EFFICIENCY OF BACTERIA

Objective: This work is mainly focused to determine the antibacterial activity of the green synthesized Bi2O3 nanoparticles against the bacterial strains, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli using resazurin as indicator. Methods: Bismuth oxide nanoparticles were synthesized from the precursor bismuth nitrate [Bi (NO3)3.5H20] by using trachyspermum ammi (ajwain) seed extract. To carry out these works, the synthesized Bi2O3 NPs undergone characterizations and were confirmed by UV-Vis, FT-IR, XRD, SEM and EDAX, TGA-DTA and DLS. Biological activity was done using a well diffusion method. Results: Bi2O3 NP's&nbsp;has been tested against bacteria (S. aureus and E. coli) in wells&nbsp;and shows blue colour, indicating bacterial growth inhibition in a dose-dependent manner for different concentrations. Conclusion: The biological studies were done with one gram-positive and one gram-negative bacteria to show the inhibiting efficiency. The synthesized bismuth oxide nanoparticles showed good anti-bacterial activity (different concentrations) against S. aureus and E. coli