A Novel Technique for Quasi Resolution Enhancement in Digital Storage Oscilloscopes for CCD Video Signal Measurements

A novel and simple method for quasi-enhancement of measurement resolution in digital storage oscilloscopes (DSOs) using trigger delay function is presented. The method is useful for measurements on charge couple devices video signals and allows one to use DSO in a manner similar to a digitiser

Impact of industrial wastes on the water quality of tropical river, Ami (India)

Industries discharge their effluents which are rich in solids, may it be in the form of TSS or TDS. These solids affect the other physicochemical parameters of the water body. Present study deals with the investigation of seasonal variation and statistical analyses of the selected parameters, in river Ami, in light of the industrial effluents. The study records that summer season, appears to be the most polluted, that is during the period when the river carries little amount of water. Statistical analysis showed that all the physicochemical parameters were positively correlated except TDS and temperature

Typhoid and paratyphoid fever

Typhoid fever is estimated to have caused 21·6 million illnesses and 216 500 deaths globally in 2000, affecting all ages. There is also one case of paratyphoid fever for every four of typhoid. The global emergence of multidrug-resistant strains and of strains with reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones is of great concern. We discuss the occurrence of poor clinical response to fluoroquinolones despite disc sensitivity. Developments are being made in our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis, and genomic and proteomic studies reveal the possibility of new targets for diagnosis and treatment. Further, we review guidelines for use of diagnostic tests and for selection of antimicrobials in varying clinical situations. The importance of safe water, sanitation, and immunisation in the presence of increasing antibiotic resistance is paramount. Routine immunisation of school-age children with Vi or Ty21a vaccine is recommended for countries endemic for typhoid. Vi vaccine should be used for 2-5 year-old children in highly endemic settings

EFFECT OF CHLOROPHYLLIN, AN SEMI-SYNTHETIC CHLOROPHYLL MOLECULE ON HYPERGLYCEMIA AND HYPERLIPIDEMIA IN STREPTOZOTOCIN INDUCED DIABETIC MICE

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of chlorophyllin (CHL) on hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic mice.Methods: Diabetes was induced in mice by administering 150 mg/kg body weight (bw) dose of STZ. The effect of 10, 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg bw doses of CHL on hyperglycemia was examined in diabetic mice for the acute and sub-acute period. The intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) was performed in diabetic (Group A) as well as diabetic treated with CHL (Group B), metformin (Group C), glibenclamide (Group D), and insulin (Group E) groups. The percent glycosylated hemoglobin (GHb%) level, lipid profile, and atherogenic index (AI) were determined in normal (Group A), diabetic (Group B) as well as diabetic treated with CHL (Group C), and metformin (Group D) groups.Results: In both acute and sub-acute antihyperglycemic study, 50 mg/kg bw dose of CHL was found effective in reduction of blood glucose level significantly and considered as an optimum dose. In IPGTT, the significant reduction of blood glucose level in Group B was observed at 2 h (h) and 4 h in comparison with Group A. The GHb%, lipid profile and AI value of Group C were found significantly different from Group B in the study.Conclusion: The present study justifies the antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic effects of CHL in STZ induced diabetic mice, hence suggesting its beneficial effect in the treatment of diabetes.Â

Micronutrient deficiency in children

Malnutrition increases morbidity and mortality and affects physical growth and development, some of these effects resulting from specific micronutrient deficiencies. While public health efforts must be targeted to improve dietary intakes in children through breast feeding and appropriate complementary feeding, there is a need for additional measures to increase the intake of certain micronutrients. Food-based approaches are regarded as the long-term strategy for improving nutrition, but for certain micronutrients, supplementation, be it to the general population or to high risk groups or as an adjunct to treatment must also be considered. Our understanding of the prevalence and consequences of iron, vitamin A and iodine deficiency in children and pregnant women has advanced considerably while there is still a need to generate more knowledge pertaining to many other micronutrients, including zinc, selenium and many of the B-vitamins. For iron and vitamin A, the challenge is to improve the delivery to target populations. For disease prevention and growth promotion, the need to deliver safe but effective amounts of micronutrients such as zinc to children and women of fertile age can be determined only after data on deficiency prevalence becomes available and the studies on mortality reduction following supplementation are completed. Individual or multiple micronutrients must be used as an adjunct to treatment of common infectious diseases and malnutrition only if the gains are substantial and the safety window sufficiently wide. The available data for zinc are promising with regard to the prevention of diarrhea and pneumonia. It should be emphasized that there must be no displacement of important treatment such as ORS in acute diarrhea by adjunct therapy such as zinc. Credible policy making requires description of not only the clinical effects but also the underlying biological mechanisms. As findings of experimental studies are not always feasible to extrapolate to humans, the biology of deficiency as well as excess of micronutrients in humans must continue to be investigated with vigour

Improved Passivant-induced Shunt Resistance Model for n-HgCdTe Photoconducting Infrared Detector

A multilayer model for the majority carrier distribution is employed to calculate the shunt resistance due to passivant-induced electric field in the accumulated n+ region. The carrier depth profile drops sharply away from the surface, finally attaining the bulk value. The effect of complete sidewall passivation on the shunt resistance is considered. The results show that if the contribution of sidewall passivation is neglected, the total detector resistance is overestimated by - 35 per cent. The detector responsivity calculations using the present model are compared with the Siliquini's model and the experimental data of Siliquini. It has been found that the present model yields relatively better agreement with the experimental data in shunt-dominated region

グジャラート先史文化の紹介と正確な遺跡地名表の整備の必要性

アジア新時代の南アジアにおける日本像 : インド・SAARC 諸国における日本研究の現状と必要性, ジャワハルラル・ネルー大学, 2009年11月3日-4

Design optimization of Pixel Structure for α-Si based uncooled Infrared detector

In this paper authors present the design and simulation results achieved for pixel structure of amorphous Si (α-Si) based bolometer array. Most uncooled IR detectors in the world are based on VOx material. But this is not a standard material in IC technology and has many inherent disadvantages. The α-Si, an alternative material with high TCR is becoming as popular. However, large TCR values, in this material are achieved only in films of high resistivity. To achieve TCR value more than 2.5%/K, α-Si film resistivity is ~ 80 ohms-cm. This gives rise to very large pixel resistance of the order of 100 Mega ohms depending upon the design of the leg structure. This high pixel resistance causes very large noise and hence lower sensitivity. If leg width or membrane thickness is increased in order to reduce the pixel resistance, then this results in higher thermal conductance which also decreases sensitivity. To overcome this problem, pixel structure is so designed that within a pixel, only part of the electrical conduction is through α-Si and rest is through metal. Simulation using Coventorware software has been done to optimize pixel resistance as well as thermal conductance through legs so that maximum sensitivity could be obtained. Optimization is also carried out in order to reduce sensitivity of pixel resistance to variation in material resistivity.Defence Science Journal, 2013, 63(6), pp.581-588, DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.63.575

Breast-feeding status alters the effect of vitamin A treatment during acute diarrhea in children

Vitamin A administration in children reduces the incidence of severe diarrhea during the subsequent few months. We therefore examined the effect of treatment with vitamin A during acute diarrhea on the episode duration and severity. In a double-blind controlled field trial, 900 children 1 to 5 y of age with acute diarrhea of ≤ 7 d duration were randomly assigned to receive vitamin A (60 mg) or a placebo. Children were followed up at home every alternate day until they recovered from the diarrheal episode. In all study children, those treated with vitamin A had a significantly lower risk of persistent diarrhea [odds ratio (OR) 0.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.07-0.97], but there was no effect on the mean diarrheal duration or the mean stool frequency. In the subgroup of children who were not breast-fed, the mean diarrheal duration [ratio of geometric means (GM) 0.84, 95% CI 0.72-0.97], mean number of stools passed after the intervention (ratio of GM 0.73, 95% CI 0.56-0.95), the proportion of episodes lasting ≥ 14 d (P = 0.002) and the percentage of children who passed watery stools on any study day (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.21-0.77) were significantly lower in those treated with vitamin A. We conclude that administration of vitamin A during acute diarrhea may reduce the severity of the episode and the risk of persistent diarrhea in non-breast-fed children. Similar benefit was not seen in breast-fed children

Careseeking for illness in young infants in an urban slum in India

Illness in infants in the first two months of life can take a precipitous life-threatening course, and requires timely and appropriate medical assessment and management. We conducted a focused ethnographic study of illness in young infants and associated careseeking practices in an urban slum in New Delhi, India, in order to identify the constraints in securing effective care for severe illness in this age group. The findings suggest that maternal recognition of illness is not a limiting factor in the use of health care services for sick young infants in this setting. Mothers respond to a number of important signs of illness, including changes in the young infant's sleeping or feeding behavior, and they are usually prompt in seeking care outside the home. They are not able, however, to discriminate among the many sources of health care available in this setting, and give preference to local unqualified private practitioners. Most practitioners, including qualified medical practitioners, display critical failures in the assessment and management of sick young infants. The continuity and effectiveness of care is further compromised by the caretakers' expectations of rapid cure, which result in discontinued treatment courses and frequent changes in practitioners, and by their reluctance to seek hospital care. The implications of these findings for the design of programs to reduce young infant mortality are discussed. In particular, the feasibility and acceptability of hospital referrals according to current program guidelines are called into question