Vibration analysis of beam with multiple cracks

The present work deals with the free vibration analysis of a cracked beam with multiple transverse cracks using finite element method. In this analysis, an ‘overall additional flexibility matrix’, instead of the ‘local additional flexibility matrix’ is added to the flexibility matrix of the corresponding intact beam element to obtain the total flexibility matrix, and from there the result is compared with previous studies. The natural frequencies of free vibration of the beam with multiple cracks are computed. It is observed that with increase in number of cracks the natural frequencies decreases. The effect of cracks is more pronounced when the cracks are near to the fixed end than free end. The natural frequency decreases with increase in relative crack depth

Functional characterization of THO complex members THOC5 and THOC7

[no abstract

Multi-objective optimization of reverse osmosis desalination units using different adaptations of the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA)

Multi-objective optimization using genetic algorithm (GA) is carried out for the desalination of brackish and sea water using spiral wound or tubular modules. A few sample optimization problems involving two and three objective functions are solved, both for the operation of an existing plant (which is almost trivial), as well as, for the design of new plants (associated with a higher degree of freedom). The possible objective functions are: maximize the permeate throughput, minimize the cost of desalination, and minimize the permeate concentration. The operating pressure difference, ΔP, across the membrane is the only important decision variable for an existing unit. In contrast, for a new plant, ΔP, the active area, A, of the membrane, the membrane to be used (characterized by the permeability coefficients for salt and water), and the type of module to be used (spiral wound/tubular, as characterized by the mass transfer coefficient on the feed-side), are the important decision variables. Sets of non-dominated (equally good) Pareto solutions are obtained for the problems studied. The binary coded elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) is used to obtain the solutions. It is observed that for maximum throughput, the permeabilities of both the salt and the water should be the highest for those cases studied where there is a constraint on the permeate concentration. If one of the objective functions is to minimize the permeate concentration, the optimum permeability of salt is shifted towards its lower limit. The membrane area is the most important decision variable in designing a spiral wound module for desalination of brackish water as well as seawater, whereas ΔP is the most important decision variable in designing a tubular module for the desalination of brackish water (where the quality of the permeate is of prime importance). The results obtained using NSGA-II are compared with those from recent, more efficient, algorithms, namely, NSGA-II-JG and NSGA-II-aJG. The last of these techniques appears to converge most rapidly

A RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY ASSESSING MORTALITY RISKS IN PATIENTS WITH CRANIOMAXILLOFACIAL TRAUMA AND POLYTRAUMA USING THE INJURY SEVERITY SCORE (ISS) AND THE NEW INJURY SEVERITY SCORE (NISS).

BACKGROUND There is no consistent difference in postoperative complications between early and delayed therapy for craniomaxillofacial trauma and polytrauma patients. Prognosis and fatality risk drive treatment selection. Two assessment scores, Injury Severity Score (ISS) and New Injury Severity Score (NISS) gauge trauma severity objectively, but their accuracy details remain scarce. Data on concurrent craniomaxillofacial trauma patients are limited, with conflicting conclusions among researchers. OBJECTIVE To determine and contrast the threshold (critical) values of the ISS and NISS evaluation scales that indicate the likelihood of a fatal outcome in patients suffering from polytrauma and craniomaxillofacial trauma. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted. Patients with facial bone fractures, soft tissue traumas, and concurrent injuries were included. Data on demographics, injuries, treatments, and outcomes were collected. ISS and NISS were calculated, and statistical analyses were performed to determine threshold values for predicting fatal outcomes. RESULTS Thirty patients were included, with assaults (43.3%), falls (20%), and motor vehicle accidents (16.7%) being the leading causes of trauma. Craniocerebral traumas (30%) and extremity traumas (23.3%) were common. Fifteen fatal cases (3%) were identified, with cerebral edema (73.3%) being the primary cause of death. Median ISS was 34 (25-41.5) for lethal cases and 4 (2-16) for the overall patient group. Median NISS was 48 (43-57) for lethal cases and 6 (3-22) for the overall patient group. CONCLUSION Both ISS and NISS show comparable efficacy in predicting the likelihood of fatal outcomes.  RECOMMENDATIONS In specialized facilities, both signs could be routinely employed to evaluate patient status and prioritize the next steps in therapy

IMPACT OF OTHER MEDICAL CONDITIONS ON PAIN AND FUNCTIONALITY FOLLOWING TOTAL HIP ARTHROPLASTY: A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY.

Background Total hip arthroplasty is the procedure carried out for patients suffering from arthritis. Arthritis is a painful bone inflammation that severely affects the functional ability of the hip bone. Total hip arthroplasty helps in reduction of the painful inflammation and it also helps in restoring the functional ability of the hip bone  Method This was a prospective study including individuals who underwent total hip arthroplasty at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi. The 30 patients participating in the study underwent the total hip arthroplasty. Patients were asked to follow up after 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months of the surgery. Preoperatively, after the surgery and during the follow-up the hip bone was assessed using WOMAC score survey form 36.  Results Comorbidities increased with age, affecting postoperative outcomes. Higher CCI values led to poorer functional improvements and more complications, sometimes necessitating conservative measures. Older patients and those with higher CCIs had higher complication rates and readmissions. CCI rose with age, from 0.29 for patients <40 to 5.42 for those >70. Significant improvements in WOMAC and SF-36 scores were seen at the third-month follow-up, but higher CCI patients declined after six months. Patients with CCI >3 had three surgical complications, while CCI 2 patients had two complications related to infection. No complications occurred in patients with CCI 0 and 1, but one patient with a higher CCI died.  Conclusion From this study, it was found that the occurrence of comorbidity after the THA significantly decreased patient satisfaction. Also, the higher preoperative CCI resulted in the occurrence of comorbidity, delayed improvement, decreased recovery, increased rate of readmission, and decreased satisfaction of the patient.  Recommendation This association can guide clinicians in taking appropriate steps to intervene in the occurrence of comorbidities and treatment of the comorbidities to improve patient satisfaction

Preliminary Investigation of Bikram Yoga Apparel for Improved Mobility and Comfort

Bikram yoga is a form of Hatha Yoga that consists of 26 poses executed in a specific order for 90 minutes in a room heated to approximately 40°C (105°F) with 40% relative humidity. The purpose of this study was to understand the clothing needs for Bikram yoga practice, to investigate dynamic change of body dimension through anthropometric measurements in select Bikram yoga postures, and to propose improved designs to meet consumers\u27 needs in performance and comfort. A mixed methods research approach was undertaken comprising of four parts: interviews with participants, anthropomorphic data collection, prototype creation, and follow up interviews. Participants voiced satisfaction with the final unitard prototype as having adequate support in the chest area however also stating that the ruching in the mid-section of the garment was \u27baggy\u27 relative to their body type

MaaSim: A Liveability Simulation for Improving the Quality of Life in Cities

Urbanism is no longer planned on paper thanks to powerful models and 3D simulation platforms. However, current work is not open to the public and lacks an optimisation agent that could help in decision making. This paper describes the creation of an open-source simulation based on an existing Dutch liveability score with a built-in AI module. Features are selected using feature engineering and Random Forests. Then, a modified scoring function is built based on the former liveability classes. The score is predicted using Random Forest for regression and achieved a recall of 0.83 with 10-fold cross-validation. Afterwards, Exploratory Factor Analysis is applied to select the actions present in the model. The resulting indicators are divided into 5 groups, and 12 actions are generated. The performance of four optimisation algorithms is compared, namely NSGA-II, PAES, SPEA2 and eps-MOEA, on three established criteria of quality: cardinality, the spread of the solutions, spacing, and the resulting score and number of turns. Although all four algorithms show different strengths, eps-MOEA is selected to be the most suitable for this problem. Ultimately, the simulation incorporates the model and the selected AI module in a GUI written in the Kivy framework for Python. Tests performed on users show positive responses and encourage further initiatives towards joining technology and public applications.Comment: 16 page

SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND EVALUATION OF ANTICANCER ACTIVITY OF SOME NEW SCHIFF BASES OF 1, 3, 4-THIADIAZOLE DERIVATIVES

Objective: N-benzylidene-5-phenyl-1, 3, 4-thiadiazol-2-amine derivatives: Synthesis and anticancer activity.Methods: In the present study five new derivatives of N-benzylidene-5-phenyl-1, 3, 4-thiadiazol-2-amine (Schiff bases containing 1, 3, 4-thiadiazole) were synthesized according to the literature methods and were characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR spectroscopy and C, H, N analysis. Anticancer activity was evaluated in Male Swiss albino mice using Ehrlich's Ascites carcinoma cells. Compounds were administered at a dose of 25 mg/kg, body weight intraperitoneally.Results: The compounds were found to reduce tumor volume, viable cell count and increase the tumor weight (%) inhibition, ascites cells (%) inhibition, non-viable cell count and increase in life span (%ILS). All the compounds exhibited significant (P< 0.01) anticancer activity compared to control and the compound 2d & 4d was found to be most potent.Conclusion: It is concluded that synthesized Schiff bases of 2-amino-5-aryl-1, 3, 4-thiadiazoles derivatives are biologically active and developed into useful anticancer agents.Â