Design parameter based method of partial discharge detection and location in power transformers

Insulation defect detection in time ensures higher operational reliability of power system assets. Power transformers are the most critical unit of power systems both from economical and operational front. Hence it becomes necessary to have knowledge of the actual insulation condition of transformer to increase dependability of the system. The performance and ageing of the transformer insulation is mainly affected by Partial discharges (PD). Proper diagnosis in terms of amplitude and location of partial discharge in a power transformer enables us to predict well in advance, with much confidence, the defect in insulation system, which avoids large catastrophic failures. In this work a 20kVA, 230/50kV single phase core type transformer is used for evaluation of the transfer function-based partial discharge detection and location using modeling of the winding, using design data. The simulation of capturing on-line PD pulses across the bushing tap capacitor is done for various tap positions. Standard PD source model is used to inject PD pulse signal at 10 tap locations in the winding and corresponding response signatures are captured at the bushing tap end (across 1000pF). The equivalent high frequency model of the winding is derived from the design parameters using analytical calculations and simulations in packages such as MAGNET and ANSOFT. The test conditions are simulated using ORCAD-9 and the results are evaluated for location accuracy using design parameter based PD monitoring method.

Study of Thyroid Function Tests in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

Background: The metabolic syndrome is a constellation of clinical and metabolic abnormalities including abdominal obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance. Metabolic syndrome and thyroid dysfunction are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Aims and objectives: To study the prevalence, symptomatology of thyroid dysfunction and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) findings of thyroidin the patients having metabolic syndrome. Material and methods: The study was carried out in 60 cases of metabolic syndrome (according to NCEP ATP III criteria) selected from the medicine outdoor clinic (including diabetic clinics, thyroid clinics) and medicine indoor wards in Post Graduate Department of Medicine, SN Medical College and Hospital, Agra. Diagnosis of thyroid dysfunction was made by history, examination and serum FT4 and TSH. Resultand observations: Out of 60 patients of metabolic syndrome, 30 patients (50%) were euthyroid, 13 patients (21.66%) had subclinical hypothyroid and 12 patients (20%) had overt hypothyroid. Five patients (8.33%) of metabolic syndrome had hyperthyroidism. Truncal obesity was most prevalent (80.0%) component of metabolic syndrome, followed by hypertriglyceridemia (70%). Diabetes mellitus was equally prevalent in both males as well as females and was presentin about 40.0% patients and 53% of patients with metabolic syndrome were hypertensive. Conclusion: This study shows that 50% metabolic syndrome patients had thyroid dysfunction. About 21.66% had subclinical hypothyroidism, 20% had overt hypothyroidism and 8.33% were having hyperthyroidism. The most common symptom in metabolic syndrome patients with hypothyroidism was lethargy/sleepiness followed by dry and coarse skin. The most commonsymptom in hyperthyroid patients was nervousness (100%) followed by sweating, heat intolerance and palpitation in 80% of the patients

Microsporidial Keratoconjunctivitis

This is a Photo Essay and does not have an abstract

Study of Thyroid Function Tests in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

Background: The metabolic syndrome is a constellation of clinical and metabolic abnormalities including abdominal obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance. Metabolic syndrome and thyroid dysfunction are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Aims and objectives: To study the prevalence, symptomatology of thyroid dysfunction and fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) findings of thyroid in thepatients having metabolic syndrome. Material and methods: The study was carried out in 60 cases of metabolic syndrome (according to NCEP ATP III criteria) selected from the medicine outdoor clinic (including diabetic clinics, thyroid clinics) and medicine indoor wards in Post Graduate Department of Medicine, SN Medical College and Hospital, Agra. Diagnosis of thyroid dysfunction was made by history, examination and serum FT4 and TSH. Result and observations: Out of 60 patients of metabolic syndrome, 30 patients (50%) were euthyroid, 13 patients (21.66%) had subclinical hypothyroid and 12 patients (20%) had overt hypothyroid. Five patients (8.33%) of metabolic syndrome had hyperthyroidism. Truncal obesity was most prevalent (80.0%) component of metabolic syndrome, followed by hypertriglyceridemia (70%). Diabetes mellitus was equally prevalent in both males as well as females and was present in about 40.0% patients and 53% of patients with metabolic syndrome were hypertensive. Conclusion: This study shows that 50% metabolic syndrome patients had thyroid dysfunction. About 21.66% had subclinical hypothyroidism, 20% had overt hypothyroidism and 8.33% were having hyperthyroidism. The most common symptom in metabolic syndrome patients with hypothyroidism was lethargy/ sleepiness followed by dry and coarse skin. The most common symptom in hyperthyroid patients was nervousness (100%) followed by sweating, heat intolerance and palpitation in 80% of th

Navigating the uncommon: a comprehensive case study of multiple gastroduodenal neuroendocrine tumor

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) have varied pathophysiological characteristics, location, clinical presentation, management & outcome. Unfortunately, most NETs are non-functional and therefore, either remain asymptomatic until incidentally detected or present very late with pressure symptoms, adding up to the associated morbidity and mortality. Here we presented a case of a 43-year gentleman, who presented to gastroenterology OPD with chief complaints of heartburn and pain in the upper abdomen for one year. He had an equivocal clinical examination and laboratory parameters. Upper GI endoscopy and computed tomography revealed multiple nodular growths in the D1 segment and pylorus of the stomach. He was successfully managed by wide local excision of D1 and distal stomach (pylorus) followed by Polya gastrojejunostomy reconstruction. Histopathology confirmed well-differentiated NETs, low Ki67, and positive for chromogranin and synaptophysin. This case draws attention to the early age of presentation of multifocal NETs with vague symptoms and equivocal clinical examination. Coexisting gastric NETs with duodenal NETs in itself is very rare, never the less non-functional status and pre-operative diagnostic dilemma. Here, we have also drawn attention to the pros and cons of various diagnostic tools and how their utility can sometimes limit the approach of clinicians, apart from a high index of suspicion

Age-specifi c and sex-specifi c adult mortality risk in India in 2014: analysis of 0·27 million nationally surveyed deaths and demographic estimates from 597 districts

Background As child mortality decreases rapidly worldwide, premature adult mortality is becoming an increasingly important contributor to global mortality. Any possible worldwide reduction of premature adult mortality before the age of 70 years will depend on progress in India. Indian districts increasingly have responsibility for implementing public health programmes. We aimed to assess age-specifi c and sex-specifi c adult mortality risks in India at the district level. Methods We analysed data from fi ve national surveys of 0∙27 million adult deaths at an age of 15–69 years together with 2014 demographic data to estimate age-specifi c and sex-specifi c adult mortality risks for 597 districts. Cause of death data were drawn from the verbal autopsies in the Registrar General of India’s ongoing Million Death Study. Findings In 2014, about two-fi fths of India’s men aged 15–69 years lived in the 253 districts where the conditional probability of a man dying at these ages exceeded 50%, and more than a third of India’s women aged 15–69 years lived in the 222 districts where the conditional probability of a woman dying exceeded 40%. The probabilities of a man or woman dying by the age of 70 years in high-mortality districts was 62% and 54%, respectively, whereas the probability of a man or woman dying by the age of 70 years in low-mortality districts was 40% and 30%, respectively. The roughly 10-year survival gap between high-mortality and low-mortality districts was nearly as extreme as the survival gap between the entire Indian population and people living in high-income countries. Adult mortality risks at ages 15–69 years was highest in east India and lowest in west India, by contrast with the north–south divide for child mortality. Vascular disease, tuberculosis, malaria and other infections, and respiratory diseases accounted for about 60% of the absolute gap in adult mortality risk at ages 15–69 years between high-mortality and low-mortality districts. Most of the variation in adult mortality could not be explained by known determinants or risk factors for premature mortality. Interpretation India’s large variation in adult mortality by district, notably the higher death rates in eastern India, requires further aetiological research, particularly to explore whether high levels of adult mortality risks from infections and non-communicable diseases are a result of historical childhood malnutrition and infection. Such research can be complemented by an expanded coverage of known eff ective interventions to reduce adult mortality, especially in high-mortality district

Design Parameter Based Method of Partial Discharge Detection and Location in Power Transformers

Abstract: Insulation defect detection in time ensures higher operational reliability of power system assets. Power transformers are the most critical unit of power systems both from economical and operational front. Hence it becomes necessary to have knowledge of the actual insulation condition of transformer to increase dependability of the system. The performance and ageing of the transformer insulation is mainly affected by Partial discharges (PD). Proper diagnosis in terms of amplitude and location of partial discharge in a power transformer enables us to predict well in advance, with much confidence, the defect in insulation system, which avoids large catastrophic failures. In this work a 20kVA, 230/50kV single phase core type transformer is used for evaluation of the transfer function-based partial discharge detection and location using modeling of the winding, using design data. The simulation of capturing on-line PD pulses across the bushing tap capacitor is done for various tap positions. Standard PD source model is used to inject PD pulse signal at 10 tap locations in the winding and corresponding response signatures are captured at the bushing tap end (across 1000pF). The equivalent high frequency model of the winding is derived from the design parameters using analytical calculations and simulations in packages such as MAGNET and ANSOFT. The test conditions are simulated using ORCAD-9 and the results are evaluated for location accuracy using design parameter based PD monitoring method

Effectiveness of Solvent Vapor Annealing over Thermal Annealing on the Photovoltaic Performance of Non-Fullerene Acceptor Based BHJ Solar Cells

We explore two small molecules containing arms of dicyano-n-hexylrhodanine and diathiafulvalene wings terminated with benzothiadiazole linker, denoted as BAF-4CN and BAF-2HDT, respectively, as small molecule non-fullerene acceptors (SMNFAs) in organic solar cells. The proposed materials are mixed with a low band gap polymer donor PTB7-Th having broad absorption in the range of 400–750 nm to form solution-processed bulk heterojunctions (BHJs). The photoluminescence (PL) measurements show that both donor and acceptor can quench each other’s PL effectively, implying that not only electrons are transferred from PTB7-Th → SMNFAs but also holes are transferred from SMNFAs → PTB7-Th for efficient photocurrent generation. Furthermore, solvent vapor annealing (SVA) processing is shown to yield a more balanced hole and electron mobility and thus suppresses the trap-assisted recombination significantly. With this dual charge transfer enabled via fine-tuning of end-groups and SVA treatment, power conversion efficiency of approximately 10% is achieved, demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed approach

Impact of foliar application of iron and zinc fertilizers on grain iron, zinc, and protein contents in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

IntroductionMicronutrient deficiencies, particularly iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), are prevalent in a large part of the human population across the world, especially in children below 5 years of age and pregnant women in developing countries. Since wheat constitutes a significant proportion of the human diet, improving grain Fe and Zn content in wheat has become important in improving human health.ObjectiveThis study aimed to quantify the effect of foliar application of iron sulfate heptahydrate (FeSO4.7H2O) and zinc sulfate heptahydrate (ZnSO4.7H2O) and their combination on grain Fe and Zn concentrations, as well as grain protein content (GPC). The study also aimed to assess the utility of these applications in large field conditions.MethodsTo address this issue, field experiments were conducted using 10 wheat cultivars and applying a foliar spray of FeSO4.7H2O (0.25%) and ZnSO4.7H2O (0.50%) separately (@400 L of solution in water per hectare during each spray) and in combination at two different crop growth stages (flowering and milking) for three consecutive crop seasons (2017–2020). The study used a split-plot design with two replications to assess the impact of foliar application on GFeC, GZnC, and GPC. In addition, an experiment was also conducted to assess the effect of soil (basal) @ 25 kg/ha ZnSO4, foliar @ 2 kg/ha, ZnSO4.7H2O (0.50%), and the combination of basal + foliar application of ZnSO4 on the grain micronutrient content of wheat cultivar WB 02 under large field conditions.ResultsGFeC increased by 5.1, 6.1, and 5.9% with foliar applications of FeSO4, ZnSO4, and their combination, respectively. GZnC increased by 5.2, 39.6, and 43.8% with foliar applications of FeSO4, ZnSO4, and their combination, respectively. DBW 173 recorded the highest increase in GZnC at 56.9% with the combined foliar application of FeSO4 and ZnSO4, followed closely by HPBW 01 at 53.0% with the ZnSO4 foliar application, compared to the control. The GPC increased by 6.8, 4.9, and 3.3% with foliar applications of FeSO4, ZnSO4, and their combination, respectively. Large-plot experiments also exhibited a significant positive effect of ZnSO4 not only on grain Zn (40.3%, p ≤ 0.001) and protein content (p ≤ 0.05) but also on grain yield (p ≤ 0.05) and hectoliter weight (p ≤ 0.01), indicating the suitability of the technology in large field conditions.ConclusionCultivars exhibited a slight increase in GFeC with solitary foliar applications of FeSO4, ZnSO4, and their combination. In contrast, a significant increase in GZnC was observed with the foliar application of ZnSO4 and the combined application of FeSO4 and ZnSO4. In terms of GPC, the most significant enhancement occurred with the foliar application of FeSO4, followed by ZnSO4 and their combination. Data demonstrated the significant effect of foliar application of ZnSO4 on enhancing GZnC by 39.6%. Large plot experiments also exhibited an increase of 40.3% in GZnC through the foliar application of ZnSO4, indicating the effectiveness of the technology to be adopted in the farmer’s field

Global, regional, and national burden of tuberculosis, 1990–2016: results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2016 Study

Background Although a preventable and treatable disease, tuberculosis causes more than a million deaths each year. As countries work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target to end the tuberculosis epidemic by 2030, robust assessments of the levels and trends of the burden of tuberculosis are crucial to inform policy and programme decision making. We assessed the levels and trends in the fatal and non-fatal burden of tuberculosis by drug resistance and HIV status for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2016. Methods We analysed 15 943 site-years of vital registration data, 1710 site-years of verbal autopsy data, 764 site-years of sample-based vital registration data, and 361 site-years of mortality surveillance data to estimate mortality due to tuberculosis using the Cause of Death Ensemble model. We analysed all available data sources, including annual case notifications, prevalence surveys, population-based tuberculin surveys, and estimated tuberculosis cause-specific mortality to generate internally consistent estimates of incidence, prevalence, and mortality using DisMod-MR 2.1, a Bayesian meta-regression tool. We assessed how the burden of tuberculosis differed from the burden predicted by the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income per capita, average years of schooling, and total fertility rate. Findings Globally in 2016, among HIV-negative individuals, the number of incident cases of tuberculosis was 9·02 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 8·05–10·16) and the number of tuberculosis deaths was 1·21 million (1·16–1·27). Among HIV-positive individuals, the number of incident cases was 1·40 million (1·01–1·89) and the number of tuberculosis deaths was 0·24 million (0·16–0·31). Globally, among HIV-negative individuals the age-standardised incidence of tuberculosis decreased annually at a slower rate (–1·3% [–1·5 to −1·2]) than mortality did (–4·5% [–5·0 to −4·1]) from 2006 to 2016. Among HIV-positive individuals during the same period, the rate of change in annualised age-standardised incidence was −4·0% (–4·5 to −3·7) and mortality was −8·9% (–9·5 to −8·4). Several regions had higher rates of age-standardised incidence and mortality than expected on the basis of their SDI levels in 2016. For drug-susceptible tuberculosis, the highest observed-to-expected ratios were in southern sub-Saharan Africa (13·7 for incidence and 14·9 for mortality), and the lowest ratios were in high-income North America (0·4 for incidence) and Oceania (0·3 for mortality). For multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, eastern Europe had the highest observed-to-expected ratios (67·3 for incidence and 73·0 for mortality), and high-income North America had the lowest ratios (0·4 for incidence and 0·5 for mortality). Interpretation If current trends in tuberculosis incidence continue, few countries are likely to meet the SDG target to end the tuberculosis epidemic by 2030. Progress needs to be accelerated by improving the quality of and access to tuberculosis diagnosis and care, by developing new tools, scaling up interventions to prevent risk factors for tuberculosis, and integrating control programmes for tuberculosis and HIV