Experimental Investigation of Catalytic Surface Reaction for Different Metal Surfaces

The use of a catalytic surface to enhance chemical reaction rates is a well established and common practice. However, its use in combustion devices for enhancing combustion reaction is somewhat less common and more recent. Catalytic combustors, because of their inherent ability to operate at very lean air fuel mixtures, can maintain a relatively low combustion temperature and hence reduce the formation of NOx significantly. Further the catalytic coating on the combustion chamber walls enhances the combustion process by increased rate of pre-flame reactions. This provides a basis for catalytic combustion in lean burn engine. A considerable amount of effort has been devoted in the present work to this experimental study and compares different catalyst reaction performance.A cylindrical chamber is fabricated and air-fuel mixture is passed through the chamber. A metal tube coated with the catalyst is placed inside the control volume and it is heated by an electric heater. The air-fuel mixture undergoes pre-flame combustion reaction and as a result of this, the miniature temperature increases. Various catalytic surfaces like mild steel, Nickel, Chromium and copper were tested. The activation temperatures of these catalytic surfaces were obtained from this experimental work. Keywords: catalytic reaction, LPG, activation energy, catalytic coatin

Dynamics of Working Conditions among Women Agricultural Workers

This paper examined the dynamics of wages, payment schedules, work availability, types of work, job satisfaction and problems faced by women agricultural workers in the rural areas of Puducherry, India. A mixed-method approach was employed and data from a random sample of 5,044 women agricultural workers across all 98 revenue villages in the rural areas of Union Territory of Puducherry were collected and analysed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the prevailing conditions and challenges. The findings indicated that almost half of the respondents earned the wages below 150 rupees per day, highlighting the prevalence of low wages. A majority of respondents faced lack of daily work availability. The study also explored the types of work performed by them, identified factors that contribute to people choosing to work in agriculture, such as the need to meet basic family needs, low family income, and issues including wage discrimination, low wages, hard work, lack of transport facilities and overworking hours

Zinc Status in the Soils of Karnataka and Response of Horticultural Crops to Zinc Application : A Meta-analysis

Zinc is considered as the fourth important yield limiting nutrient in India, after N, P, and K. From the regular soil analysis data, Indian soils (50%) are found to be deficient in Zn and the zinc deficiency is likely to increase in future. Areas with low soil available Zn are often regions with widespread zinc deficiency in humans. Zinc malnutrition and deficiency in human is alarming and is gaining attention in recent years. Application of zinc to soil and crops is one of the simple and easiest ways to mitigate or alleviate Zn deficiency in human. Moreover Zn uptake, its translocation and yield response of various crops to applied Zn are need to be focused for finding sustainable solutions to the problem of zinc deficiency in crops and humans. In this manuscript, importance of Zn to plants and human, Zn malnutrition problems in India and global level, soil Zn status of Karnataka, various factors that responsible for Zn deficiency in the soils of Karnataka and the response of various horticultural crops to Zn application in the region is discussed. Soil maps are believed to be an important tool to delineate and manage nutrient deficient areas. It also elaborates the effective Zn management strategies to improve crop productivity and farm income

NMR-based metabolomic profiling of urine: Evaluation for application in prostate cancer detection

Detection of prostate cancer (PCa) and distinguishing indolent versus aggressive forms of the disease is a critical clinical challenge. The current clinical test is circulating prostate-specific antigen levels, which faces particular challenges in cancer diagnosis in the range of 4 to 10 ng/mL. Thus, a concerted effort toward building a noninvasive biomarker panel has developed. In this report, the hypothesis that nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-derived metabolomic profiles measured in the urine of biopsy-negative versus biopsy-positive individuals would nominate a selection of potential biomarker signals was investigated. 1H NMR spectra of urine samples from 317 individuals (111 biopsy-negative, 206 biopsy-positive) were analyzed. A double cross-validation partial least squares-discriminant analysis modeling technique was utilized to nominate signals capable of distinguishing the two classes. It was observed that after variable selection protocols were applied, a subset of 29 variables produced an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.94 after logistic regression analysis, whereas a “master list” of 18 variables produced a receiver operating characteristic ROC) AUC of 0.80. As proof of principle, this study demonstrates the utility of NMR-based metabolomic profiling of urine biospecimens in the nomination of PCa-specific biomarker signals and suggests that further investigation is certainly warranted

Relationship between dichromate oxidizable and total soil organic carbon and distribution of different pools of organic carbon in Vertisols of Central India

Geo-referenced soil samples (0-15 cm) were collected from the farmers fields of Sehore (n = 120) and Vidisha (n = 156) district representing AESR 10.1 to establish the relationship between oxidizable SOC and total SOC in Vertisols of Central India and also to study the distribution of different pools of SOC as well as their relationship with crop yield. Total SOC was apportioned into different pools by using 5, 10 and 20 ml of concentrated H2SO4 that resulted in 3 acid-aqueous solution ratio of 0.5:1, 1:1 and 2:1. Also crop yields during the following winter season and rainy season from the geo-reference fields were recorded and were transformed to % relative yield. Oxidizable SOC (y) was related to total SOC (x) in the form of y = 0.825x – 0.086 (R2 = 0.958, n = 276), indicating that oxidizable SOC comprised 82.5% of the total SOC. Therefore it was recommended that a correction factor of 1.21 should be used to convert oxidizable SOC values to get the estimate of total SOC. The mean crop productivity was better related to oxidizable SOC (r = 0.5275) as compared to total SOC(r = 0.4886). The threshold and optimum values of oxidizable SOC were 3.2 and 11.2 g C/kg, respectively, whereas the threshold and optimum values for total SOC were 3.87 and 14.1 g C/kg, respectively. Among the different pools, less labile C was highly correlated (r = 0.5871) with the crop productivity, the computed threshold and optimum value for less labile C were 1.53 and 5.2 g C/kg, respectively

GA-based multi-objective optimization of active nonlinear quarter car suspension system—PID and fuzzy logic control

Background The primary function of a suspension system is to isolate the vehicle body from road irregularities thus providing the ride comfort and to support the vehicle and provide stability. The suspension system has to perform conflicting requirements; hence, a passive suspension system is replaced by the active suspension system which can supply force to the system. Active suspension supplies energy to respond dynamically and achieve relative motion between body and wheel and thus improves the performance of suspension system. Methods This study presents modelling and control optimization of a nonlinear quarter car suspension system. A mathematical model of nonlinear quarter car is developed and simulated for control and optimization in Matlab/Simulink® environment. Class C road is selected as input road condition with the vehicle traveling at 80 kmph. Active control of the suspension system is achieved using FLC and PID control actions. Instead of guessing and or trial and error method, genetic algorithm (GA)-based optimization algorithm is implemented to tune PID parameters and FLC membership functions’ range and scaling factors. The optimization function is modeled as a multi-objective problem comprising of frequency weighted RMS seat acceleration, Vibration dose value (VDV), RMS suspension space, and RMS tyre deflection. ISO 2631-1 standard is adopted to assess the ride and health criterion. Results The nonlinear quarter model along with the controller is modeled and simulated and optimized in a Matlab/Simulink environment. It is observed that GA-optimized FLC gives better control as compared to PID and passive suspension system. Further simulations are validated on suspension system with seat and human model. Parameters under observation are frequency-weighted RMS head acceleration, VDV at the head, crest factor, and amplitude ratios at the head and upper torso (AR_h and AR_ut). Simulation results are presented in time and frequency domain. Conclusion Simulation results show that GA-based FLC and PID controller gives better ride comfort and health criterion by reducing RMS head acceleration, VDV at the head, CF, and AR_h and AR_ut over passive suspension system

Risk factors for myocardial infarction among low socioeconomic status South Indian population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>As longevity increases, cases of myocardial infarction (MI) are likely to be more. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major global health problem reaching epidemic proportions in the Indian subcontinent, also among low socio-economic status (SES) and thin individuals.</p> <p>Objectives</p> <p>The present study was undertaken to elicit risk factors for MI among low SES Southern Indians and to find out its association with body mass index (BMI).</p> <p>Materials and methods</p> <p>A case-control study of patients with MI matched against healthy control subjects was carried out in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Standard methods were followed to elicit risk factors and BMI. Chi-square and Fishers exact test for categorical versus categorical, to show relationship with risk factors were analyzed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 949 patients (male (M) = 692 and post menopausal female (F) = 257) and 611 age and sex matched healthy controls were included. In our study, BMI was below 23 in 48.2% of patients and below 21 in 22.5%. The risk of developing MI was significantly more in males (odds ratio (OR) = 3.3, 95% confidence interval (C.I.) = 2.69-4.13), among females with post-menopausal duration (PMD) of more than or equal to 3 years (OR = 9.27, 95% C.I. = 6.36-13.50) and in those with BMI less than 23 with one or other risk factors (P = 0.002, OR = 1.38, 95% C.I. = 1.13-1.70).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>BMI cannot be considered as a lone independent risk factor, as the study population had low BMI but had one or more modifiable risk factors. It would be advisable to keep BMI at least 21 kg/m²for screening program. Health education on life style modification and programs to diagnose and control diabetes and hypertension have to be initiated at community level in order to reduce the occurrence.</p