Algorithm-circuit co-design for detecting symptomatic patterns in biological signals

The advancement in scaled Silicon technology has accelerated the development of a wide range of applications in various fields including medical technology. It has immensely contributed to finding solutions for monitoring general health as well as alleviating intractable disorders in the form of implantable and wearable systems. This necessitates the development of energy efficient and functionally efficacious systems. This thesis has explored the algorithm-circuit co-design approach for developing an energy efficient epileptic seizure detection processor which could be used for implantable epilepsy prosthesis. Novel wavelet transform based algorithms are proposed for accurate detection of epileptic seizures. Energy efficient techniques at circuit level such as power and clock gating are utilized along with error resiliency at algorithm level to implement these algorithms in TSMC $65$nm bulk-Si technology. Furthermore, the methodology is extended to develop a generic pattern detection system, which could be used for health monitoring. The wavelet transform along with mathematical metrics and Mel cepstrum are used to develop an algorithm which can detect generic patterns in biological audio signals. The application of algorithm-circuit co-design methodology helps in practically implementing this system into a low power design. Using approximation of coefficients and multiplier-less implementation, the Mel cepstrum algorithm is modified to optimize the hardware cost without losing its functional efficacy. The system is user-specific and scalable for detecting various patterns in biological signals. The methodologies mentioned in this thesis are intended towards development of user-scalable, energy efficient and highly efficacious systems for detection of patterns in variety of biological signals

Analytical Study on Economic Effect of Grid Floor Geometric Parameters

Timoshenko’s theory of plates is used to evaluate design moments and shears occurring in ribs of a Grid floor accurately. However, it involves assuming magnitudes of parameters like spacing of ribs, thickness of slab and width of rib which have considerable influence on the overall economy of the Grid floor. The aim of this study is to analytically find the effect of these assumed parameters on the overall economy of the structure. Grid floors of sizes 12 m X 16 m, 14 m X 16 m and 16 m X 16 m were designed for various dimensions of slab, rib and different spacing. The cost of each slab is estimated and interaction curves are developed. From this study, it can be concluded that the cost of the grid floor would be minimum if minimum thickness of slab, minimum width of ribs and maximum spacing of ribs is adopted. Further, for the typical case considered, the approximate method of Rankine - Grashoff theory underestimates the moments by around 20%

Management of Coal Fly Ash in Remediation Process

The present research relates to class of adsorbents obtained by systematic biopolymer modification of cenospheres transfigured from coal fly ash (CFA): an immense waste by-product of coal based thermal power plant, method of preparation thereof and their use in wastewater treatment contaminated by tanneries, distilleries, cosmetics, textiles, plastics, pulp and paper industries, paints, electroplating and food processing industries effluents. Removal percentage of disperse dyes had better correlated with Langmuir isotherm, tested among Freundlich, Temkin and Redlich-Peterson isotherm which indicated saturated monolayer attachment of dye molecules onto the surface of adsorbent with maximum capacity 500.4 and 500.0 mg/g for Disperse Orange 25 (DO) and Disperse Blue 79:1 (DB) dyes, respectively. The uptake rate of dye molecules followed pseudo-second order kinetics in all cases. Recovery of dye molecules was completed best in three cycles with acetic acid for CFA and cenospheres, with Di-chloromethane for CNAC and in four cycles with non-polar solvent (chloroform) for zeolite and CNCH nanocomposite. The used adsorbents could easily be dumped into landfill with in concrete pit liming, or can also be used in brick making to minimize the environmental risk

Computerized Optimum Dimensioning of Prestressed Homogenous Steel I-Beam

The economy of a prestressed steel beam can be realized only when relevant parameters of optimum magnitude are chosen. The present work aims at finding out the optimum dimensions of a simply supported, laterally unsupported, prestressed steel I-beam for a given span and load carrying capacity. Iterative calculations involved in analysis were performed with the help of a ‘C’ program developed by the authors in Turbo ‘C’ Environment. It was observed that the ratio of top fiber stress at working loads to the permissible stress is more than 0.9 for all the span lengths for the finalized cross-sections. This means that the cross-section is being effectively utilized. Deflection increases slowly for an increase in the load carrying capacity beyond 16kN/m. This means that pre-stressed steel beams are ideal for structures subjected to total load greater than 16kN/m. For a given load carrying capacity and span, e/D ratio has to be in between 0.45 to 0.7 for optimum utilization of the available cross section.The economy of a prestressed steel beam can be realized only when relevant parameters of optimum magnitude are chosen. The present work aims at finding out the optimum dimensions of a simply supported, laterally unsupported, prestressed steel I-beam for a given span and load carrying capacity. The span of the beam was limited to 12 m while the load carrying capacity was limited to 100 kN/m for this study. A straight tendon configuration over the whole span is considered and the losses occurring in the tendon are neglected. The safety of various sets of dimensions ranging from the minimum dimensions of I-section in IS-Hand Book-1 to their maximum dimensions for different pre-stressing forces and eccentricities are checked. The set with minimum cross sectional area is chosen. Iterative calculations involved in analysis were performed with the help of a ‘C’ program developed by the authors in Turbo ‘C’ Environment. It was observed that the ratio of top fiber stress at working loads to the permissible stress is more than 0.9 for all the spans for the finalized cross-sections. This means that the cross-section is being effectively utilized. For a given load carrying capacity and span, eccentricity to depth ratio has to be in between 0.45 to 0.7 for optimum utilization of the available cross section. It is also observed that the maximum pre-stressing force equal to 0.25 times the permissible bending compressive stress can be applied

The Community College Experience: Exploring Factors That Affect the Black College Athlete Engagement

Although many researchers have begun to conduct inquiries into mental health and identity among secondary education students, postsecondary education students need to understand how persistence, motivation, and mentorship can improve academic and athletic endeavors for Black male college athletes. This study aimed to identify and highlight Black male college athletes voices revealing factors contributing to their mental health challenges and successes while attending community college. In addition, this study explored how Black male college athletes' college experiences shaped their persistence toward academic goals, which critically influences their educational development. The data were derived from a qualitative semistructured focus group and one-on-one interviews. The study was conducted at one community college site in an urban district with a culturally and linguistically diverse student population. Black male college athletes' experiences were examined through beliefs, attitudes, practices, and needs related to mental health and identity. More specifically, this study sought to understand whether or not Black male college athletes were influenced by the specific instructional factors of support, expertise, and time of individuals in prominent leadership roles. This phenomenology study examined the academic experiences of Black male college football athletes in the United States, framed by critical race theory, applying Bell's (2000) interest convergence principle, and using microaggression and counterstorytelling as a construct. Recommendations are provided for schools, administrators, and coaches to acknowledge the experiences and culture of each student

Standardization of Homoeopathic Drug Ruta graveolens L.

Ruta graveolens L. is a small, strong scented perennial herb belonging to family Rutaceae. It is having a broad sphere of action & hence a potential drug in homoeopathy. It has antihysteric, emmenagogic, ophthalmic, vermifuge, carminative, antiepileptic, revulsive, anthelmentic, abortive, spasmolytic properties. It has both curative and injurious on the fibrous and bony tissues, especially in the vicinity of joints. In the present paper, the pharmacognostic and physio-chemical investigations on the leaves and stem of the plant have been presented. Morphological and anatomical characters of leaf and stem are studied in detailed. Physio-chemical parameters of raw drug viz., moisture content, ash values, extractives values, as well as quantitative estimation of various phytochemicals have been studied

Response of Composite Panels with Conductive Coatings Submitted to Emulated Lightning Strikes

RÉSUMÉ De nouvelles méthodes de conception et de fabrication pour obtenir des matériaux conducteurs électriquement sont régulièrement développées. L’évaluation de la performance d'un matériau conducteur pour la protection contre la foudre (LCF) repose habituellement sur des essais et des analyses approfondis nécessitant l'accès à une infrastructure imposante. Cela peut entraîner des retards considérables dans le programme de recherche et / ou des dépenses déraisonnablement élevées. Cependant, lors de recherche exploratoire portant sur le développement de matériaux conducteurs pour LCF, il n'est financièrement pas viable ou techniquement productif de passer à travers la gamme complète de tests de foudre standardisés qui produisent des résultats binaires «go no-go». Le temps nécessaire pour de telles études approfondies est également difficile à justifier. Une étape de pré-qualification est donc souhaitable car elle peut servir de mécanisme de rétroaction pour améliorer la préparation/conception de matériaux avancés avant qu'ils ne soient soumis à des tests à grande échelle plus dispendieux et longs. Il est donc nécessaire de développer des équipements abordables et de nouveaux protocoles de test / analyse qui permettent une évaluation préliminaire mais holistique de nouveaux matériaux pour LCF. Cette nécessité est la principale motivation de cette thèse de doctorat. Le premier objectif de cette thèse porte sur la conception de montages expérimentaux à faible coût en divisant le test de foudre standard en deux parties distinctes. Un nouveau circuit d'émulateur d'impulsions capable de produire une amplitude de crête de 40 kA a été conçu et fabriqué, tandis que des alimentations commerciales pouvant produire jusqu'à 500 A DC ont été utilisées pour tester les matériaux LSP contre des courants continus. Cet arrangement réduit la complexité et maximise la sécurité des circuits respectifs, menant à une meilleure rentabilité. Les émulateurs ont également été conçus avec une grande flexibilité afin d’accommoder des échantillons avec une large gamme de conductivités et pour reproduire diverses formes d'ondes. Les signaux d'onde émulés ici sont conformes aux normes SAE. Le deuxième objectif porte sur la caractérisation et l'analyse des matériaux conducteurs. Différents matériaux conducteurs, chacun avec leurs propres méthodes de fabrication, ont été étudiés comme revêtements pour LCF de l'avion.----------ABSTRACT New design and manufacturing schemes to produce electrically conductive materials are regularly devised. The evolution of an electrically conductive material into a solution for lightning strike protection (LSP) relies on extensive testing and analysis requiring access to heavy infrastructure. This can lead to substantial delays in the research program and/or unreasonably high expenses. However, when exploring such conducting materials for LSP, neither is it financially viable nor technically productive to put them through the full battery of sophisticated lightning tests utilizing standard protocols that yield binary “go - no go” results. The time spent on such extensive studies is also difficult to justify. A pre-qualification program is thus desired. Such a program, if designed appropriately, can also serve as a feedback mechanism to improve on the materials’ technology readiness before they are subjected to full-scale tests. There is a need to develop low-cost equipment and associated test/analysis protocols that allow for a preliminary but holistic evaluation of new materials for LSP, which serves as the motivation for this PhD thesis. The first objective of this thesis relating to the establishment of low-cost test equipment was achieved by dividing the standard lightning test into two separate parts of reduced severity. A new impulse emulator circuit capable of producing a 40 kA peak amplitude was designed and transformed into a physical structure, while commercial power supplies that could produce up to 500 A DC were used to test the LSP materials against continuous currents. This arrangement lowers complexity and safety demands on the respective circuits, hence leading to costeffectiveness. The emulators were also designed with a flexibility to both accommodate samples with a wide range of conductivities, and reproduce current waveforms with chosen test parameters, leading to wider application. The emulated lightning waveforms were shown to conform to SAE standards. The second objective concerns testing and analysis of conductive materials. Different conducting materials, each with their own manufacturing methods, were investigated as coatings for aircraft LSP. These included different metals (silver, tin and copper-tin) and hybrid materials (silvercarbon and silver-conducting polymer)

Traditional Plants Used for the Treatment of Ear Problems in Beed District of Maharashtra

The present paper focuses on the botanicals used in the treatment of of ear problems in Beed District of Maharashtra. The author gathered important information of such a 10 plants belonging to 08 different families. An ethnobotanica! Survey was carried out in the district and information was collected about the plants, which are used to cure different problems of Ear like Earache, Pus Formation in the ear, listening problem etc. All the species included in this paper are wildly grown. This traditional knowledge is very valuable source for the further research and discovery of new pharmaceutical drugs. For each plant species scientific name, family, local name, parts used and mode of administration for the treatment of ear problem are provided

Therapeutic management of non-infectious repeat breeder buffaloes by using phytomedicine

The goal of the current study was to assess the efficacy of powder Harbominvit in non-infectious repeat breeder buffaloes with a selective test such as white side test, cervical pH, PMNs cell count, Fern patten and estimation of serum phosphorous. 24 buffaloes that tested negative for white side test was chosen for the current study out of a total of 51 buffaloes that underwent the test from Nanded and Parbhani districts of Marathwada region in Maharashtra under infertility camps organized by NDDB, Mother dairy, and Collage of animal and veterinary science Parbhani. MAFSU. In the Treatment group at day 0 before treatment repeat breeder buffaloes showed a Mean ± SE cervical pH value was 7.38±0.07 while the Control group showed a Mean ± SE cervical pH value was 7.59±0.08. The white side test was 100% negative for both groups. The mean ± SE value for PMN cell count for the Treatment group is 2.67±0.31 while the Control group was 2.08±0.22. The mean ± SE value for serum phosphorus value for the Treatment group before treatment is 3.81a±0.11 and after treatment is 4.937a±0.18 while the Control group shows before 3.68a±0.09 and after treatment 4.17a±0.20 and mean ± SE value for Fern pattern for Treatment group and Control group was 0.750±0.13 and 0.66±0.14 respectively. The conception rates in buffaloes of Group 1 with the treatment of powder Harbominvit and Group 2 with no treatment serve as control were 75% (09/12), and 41.66 % (05/12) respectively (Table 2). The overall conception rate in the present study was 58.33% (14/24) in non-infectious repeat-breeding buffaloes. As an herbal combination with chelated minerals and some vitamins has best conception rate in non-infectious repeat breeder buffaloes having the advantage of reducing the cost of treatment in repeat breeding as compared to other treatment protocols

Annotation and BAC/PAC localization of nonredundant ESTs from drought-stressed seedlings of anindica rice

To decipher the genes associated with drought stress response and to identify novel genes in rice, we utilized 1540 high-quality expressed sequence tags (ESTs) for functional annotation and mapping to rice genomic sequences. These ESTs were generated earlier by 3'-end single-pass sequencing of 2000 cDNA clones from normalized cDNA libraries constructed from drought-stressed seedlings of anindica rice. A rice UniGene set of 1025 transcripts was constructed from this collection through the BLASTN algorithm. Putative functions of 559 nonredundant ESTs were identified by BLAST similarity search against public databases. Putative functions were assigned at a stringency E value of 10-6 in BLASTN and BLASTX algorithms. To understand the gene structure and function further, we have utilized the publicly available finished and unfinished rice BAC/PAC (BAC, bacterial artificial chromosome; PAC, P1 artificial chromosome) sequences for similarity search using the BLASTN algorithm. Further, 603 nonredundant ESTs have been mapped to BAC/PAC clones. BAC clones were assigned by a homology of above 95% identity along 90% of EST sequence length in the aligned region. In all, 700 ESTs showed rice EST hits in GenBank. Of the 325 novel ESTs, 128 were localized to BAC clones. In addition, 127 ESTs with identified putative functions but with no homology in IRGSP (International Rice Genome Sequencing Program) BAC/PAC sequences were mapped to the Chinese WGS (whole genome shotgun contigs) draft sequence of the rice genome. Functional annotation uncovered about a hundred candidate ESTs associated with abiotic stress in rice andArabidopsis that were previously reported based on microarray analysis and other studies. This study is a major effort in identifying genes associated with drought stress response and will serve as a resource to rice geneticists and molecular biologists