Laser surface engineering of titanium carbide composite coating on aluminum alloy

In the present study, Laser Surface Engineering (LSE) technique was employed to deposit hard and refractory TiC on a light metal 6061 A1 alloy. The coating is composite in nature with TiC particles embedded in a Al-Ti matrix. The coating is continuous, uniform and free of cracks. Such a coating has been characterized to evaluate microstructural properties, mechanical properties, tribological properties and high temperature oxidation behavior. The strain energy release rate, Gss, and the stress intensity factor, Kc, were computed for this particular coating/substrate system. These measurements provide information on the mechanical performance and integrity of the interface between the metal and the ceramic. Observations on the oxidation behavior of TiC coating on 6061 A1 are discussed in this study. The kinetics of oxidation for the samples of various precursor thickness of the coating are also discussed

"Retail Teleclinics"-A Low Cost Scalable Healthcare Delivery Model for Rural India

Rural India has an acute shortage of doctors whereas urban India is over supplied. Many medical graduates are reluctant to serve in rural areas due to poor civic structures. By adopting technology we planned to strike a balance in this disparity. Our project AWISH is a social enterprise. AWISH in Sanskrit means “to reach” which denotes the mission motto-providing medical consultations in rural areas by utilising telemedicine. We have evolved an efficient, cost-effective, sustainable, scalable healthcare delivery model after pilot project, “AWISH retail teleclinics”. We have identified, recruited and trained the pharmacy owners in rural areas who provide a 4ftx4ft space in their pharmacy for a teleclinic facility. The Teleclinic is equipped with a computer, LED TV, printer, broadband Internet, pulseoxymeter, glucometer, digital thermometer and BP apparatus. Special videoconferencing software which works on 256KBPS bandwidth is provided. The pharmacist is trained to use the equipment and the approximate cost to the pharmacist for the equipment is around US$1,000. Free consultations are provided for three months and the telemedicine GP runs free medical camps weekly for three months. This familiarises the doctor with the patients, and also increased pharmacy revenue. Medical consultations were provided by our parent institute-Nightingale Multi-specialty Hospital where a dedicated telemedicine wing has been setup. For all patients general consultations are provided. Specialist consultations are provided when required. Currently we are operating 10 Teleclinics and planning to scale up to 100 in a year. All the pharmacy owners have recovered their investment. Present average footfalls are 20 per day in each centre. Our audit results on the project’s social and financial impact are promising. For a developing country with poor primary healthcare in rural areas the only resort is dependency on quacks which many a times proves to be problematic to the uneducated population. Our model has proved to be an economical and effective solution

E-Books: A Paradigm Shift and Legal Issues

In the digital era, the publication industry talks more about e-books utility across the world. But in the Indian scenario, usage of e-books is predominantly low compared with other developed countries. The publisher’s strategies like control over e-books platform, licencing and other legal issues are pushing back libraries from the procurement of e-books. This article makes a modest attempt to describe the conceptual framework, advantages, disadvantages, usage, legal issues, access models and licencing pertaining to e-books procurement

Catalytic Philanthropy In India

Catalytic Philanthropy is still in its infancy in India. Despite this, there are a surprising number of exemplary cases where Indian philanthropists are creating large-scale social change far beyond the resources invested. This report highlights these practices as well as the key issues that need to be addressed to accelerate its evolution

Emerging Trends in Library Marketing and Engagement through Digital Media

Previously, the effectiveness of traditional forms of communication and marketing were adequate in library engagement and marketing activities. In the recent past, the Library Marketing has undergone a lot of change, and the information technology has proved and brought substantial changes in digital marketing channels. With innovative technology, libraries are engaged in a constant search for better ways for communicating its resources and services and marketing them effectively. The internet world has brought all users and libraries together to find each other and share their information requirements. Libraries are capturing its user through multi marketing-channels including social media. Here an attempt has been made to understand the library marketing and engagement tools in the digital era and case study of Alliance University Library as example for marketing e-resources as well

Improvement of Voltage Profile through the Optimal Placement of FACTS Using L-Index Method

In this paper an IEEE standard test system is considered and it is tested using Newton-Raphson method with the help of MATLAB. The voltage magnitudes of each bus are examined and the corresponding weak bus is incorporated with FACTS such as SVC and TCSC. The optimal placement of FACTS can be identified using L-Index method. The value of L-index which approach unity implies that it reaches to instability. From this instability point the system stability is improved during steady state and Fault conditions. The disturbance is created in the system by changing the Load Reactive Power at a particular Bus.DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijece.v4i2.513

Magnetic resonance evaluation of intra dural spinal tumors with histopathology correlation

Background: Tumors of the spinal cord or canal constitute approximately 15% to 20% of central nervous system tumors. The differential diagnosis of spinal neoplasms is primarily based on location of the lesion relative to the spinal cord and the age, sex and clinical presentation. The aim and objective of the study was to determine the sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing intra spinal tumors and to correlate findings on MRI with histopathological diagnosis.Methods: This is a retrospective study. The study group included all the patients who presented to our hospital with progressive sensory or motor deficits, para or quadriperesis with or without bladder/bowel Involvement. Only patients with Intra dural lesions such as intradural extra medullary and Intra medullary lesions were included in the study. All the extra dural lesion cases such as vertebral tumors, degenerative/osteoporotic compressions and Trauma related cord compressions were excluded from the study.Results: Of the forty intradural tumors, 28 were extramedullary and 12 were intramedullary. Most of the tumors were located in the cervical and the dorsolumbar spine accounting for more than 50%. The most common tumor encountered in our study was schwannoma (22/40), followed by ependymoma (7/40), meningioma (4/40), astrocytoma (4/40), one each of Hemangioblastoma, Neuroentericcyst and Dermoid cyst. Ependymomas, Astrocytomas and hemangioblastoma were intramedullary lesions and the remaining lesions constituted Intra Dural extra medullary lesions.Conclusions: MRI was found to be a highly sensitive imaging procedure and the method of choice for intradural tumor evaluation and to differentiate extra medullary from Intra medullary lesions. It is not sensitive enough to differentiate the Intra medullary tumors. Nevertheless, definite diagnosis could be made by histopathology only.

Elastic behavior of neodymium based manganites

a b s t r a c t With a view to investigate the elastic behavior of Nd 0.67 A 0.33 MnO 3 (where A = Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb) manganite system, the samples were prepared by the sol gel method. After characterizing the samples structurally, a systematic investigation of ultrasonic longitudinal and transverse sound velocities of all the samples was undertaken by pulse transmission technique in the temperature range, 100-300 K. It has been found that all the elasticity parameters, including Debye temperature, are found to increase continuously with increasing ionic radii of the dopant ion. All the samples are also found to exhibit anomalies in both the longitudinal and transverse velocities near their ferro to para magnetic transition (T C ) temperatures. Apart from this, Nd 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 sample is also found to exhibit, a transition at its charge ordering temperature (T co ). An explanation for the observed elastic anomalies based on a mean field theory has been given

Musculoskeletal Applications of Elastography: a Pictorial Essay of Our Initial Experience

Elastography is an ultrasound-based newer imaging technique that is currently being used for the evaluation of breast lesions and hepatic pathology. It is also being evaluated for characterizing lesions of the prostate, thyroid, cervix and lymph nodes. We have applied real-time sonoelastography to a variety of musculoskeletal pathologies and here we report the findings of elastography for the evaluation of various musculoskeletal pathologies. Elastography of musculoskeletal lesions is not yet being routinely used in clinical practice, but it is being extensively researched

Selected novel 5'-amino-2'-hydroxy-1,3-diaryl-2-propen-1-ones arrest cell cycle of HCT-116 in G0/G1 phase

A series of 5’-amino-2’-hydroxy-1,3-diaryl-2-propen-1-ones (AC1-AC15) were synthesized by Claisen-Schmidt condensation of 5'-acetamido-2’-hydroxy acetophenone with various substituted aromatic aldehydes. The synthesized compounds were characterized by FTIR, 1H NMR and mass spectrometry and evaluated for their selective cytotoxicity using MTT assay on two cancer cell lines namely breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), colon cancer cell line (HCT-116) and one normal kidney epithelial cell line (Vero). Among the tested compounds, AC-10 showed maximum cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 cell line with IC50 value 74.7 ± 3.5 μM. On HCT-116 cells, AC-13 exhibited maximum cytotoxicity with IC50 value 42.1 ± 4.0 μM followed by AC-14 and AC-10 with IC50 values 62 ± 2.3 μM and 95.4 ± 1.7 μM respectively. All tested compounds were found to be safe on Vero cell line with IC50 value more than 200 μM. Based on their highest efficacy on HCT-116, AC-10, AC-13 and AC-14 were selected for mechanistic study on this cell line by evaluating changes nucleomorphological characteristics using acridine orange-ethidium bromide (AOEB) dual stain and by analyzing cell cycle with flow cytometry using propidium iodide stain. In AOEB staining, all three tested compounds showed significant (p < 0.05) increase in percentage apoptotic nuclei compared to control cells, with highest increase in apoptotic nuclei by AC-13 treatment (31 %). Flow cytometric studies showed cell cycle arrest by AC-10 and AC-14 treatment in G0/G1 phase and by AC-13 in G0/G1 and G2/M phase. The study reflected the potential of AC-10, AC-13 and AC-14 to be the lead molecules for further optimization