Selective Stiffening in Soft Actuators by Triggered Phase Transition of Hydrogel-Filled Elastomers

Nature has inspired a new generation of robots that not only imitate the behavior of natural systems but also share their adaptability to the environment and level of compliance due to the materials used to manufacture them, which are typically made of soft matter. In order to be adaptable and compliant, these robots need to be able to locally change the mechanical properties of their soft material-based bodies according to external feedback. In this work, a soft actuator that embodies a highly controllable thermo-responsive hydrogel and changes its stiffness on direct stimulation is proposed. At a critical temperature, this stimulation triggers the reversible transition of the hydrogel, which locally stiffens the elastomeric containment at the targeted location. By dividing the actuator into multiple sections, it is possible to control its macroscopic behavior as a function of the stiffened sections. These properties are evaluated by arranging three actuators into a gripper configuration used to grasp objects. The results clearly show that the approach can be used to develop soft actuators that can modify their mechanical properties on-demand in order to conform to objects or to exert the required force

Net Neutrality Value Pack using Network Data Analytics

The advent of mobile internet and the phenomenal growth of the use of smart phones has brought data onto the forefront, creating newer revenue streams for the operators. The data/Internet connection now needs to cater to diverse traffic, just as a city must manage the flow of various vehicles and pedestrians on its streets. In the data world, usage of data ranges across various applications like streaming-video, real time gaming, B2B & M2M applications. Such diverse customers often blame their operators for throttling data flows to the phones or computers. This causes significant delays and losses in data transmission. Any lapses of providing connectivity and continuity to network will create a large number of dissatisfied customers and unwarranted reduction of customer base. Network neutrality is an idea, that all operators should treat all data that travel over their networks fairly, without improper discrimination in favor of particular apps, sites or services. However it is a complex, controversial topic and is an important part of a free and open Internet. It aims at enabling access, choice, and transparency of Internet offerings, there by empowering users to benefit from full access to services, applications, and content available on the Internet. Implementing network neutrality legitimately without discrimination in favor of particular applications, sites or services have been a challenge faced by operators globally. This paper describes a Net Neutrality value pack using the Smart Profile Server (SPS). SPS is an enterprise application which forms the middleware to collect & analyze the network data to build and expose a data model having network traffic info w.r.t. session throughput, speed classification, page reloads etc. for a given customer/subscriber at a given time & location using the analytic database (DB). This data model can be either exposed as a REST [1] based interface as a smart profile view with fine grain access control or tied to 3rd party dashboard tools to act as a window to subscribers & regulation agencies to determine if the operator is truly net neutral

Tibia fractures managed with minimally invasive internal fixation: a case series of 20 cases

Distal tibia fractures are frequently associated with an extensive soft tissue injury, leading to a higher risk of complications such as skin complications, infection, non-union, and eventually poor overall outcome. This study aims to measure the outcome of open/closed distal tibia fractures treated with minimally invasive internal fixation. We aim to propose an algorithm for the management of distal tibia fractures by evaluating the treatment options, outcomes, and risk factors present. This study is a case series study of all distal tibia fractures treated surgically in Kamineni Academy of Medical Sciences, LB Nagar from 2018 to 2022. Patient records were reviewed to analyze the outcomes of surgical treatment and the risk factors associated with it

Design and Fabrication of Little gourd cutter

Plywood base was used as a platform to place the entire equipment. Stainless steel blade was attached to the shaft of motor of 240V which acts as cutting unit. Stainless steel cylinder with supporting iron rod is used for feeding little gourds. A rectangular frame made up of metallic stands was used as main frame and supporting main units. A collection tray made up of metal sheet was used for collection of slices. Moisture content of little gourds was 85%. The dimensions of little gourds were measured using digital Vernier callipers and weight of each little gourd was measured using electronic weighing balance. Average length and diameter of little gourds were found to be 17.93mm and 18.88mm respectively. The other parameters like Sphericity, roundness, cylindrical and elliptical were found to be 0.14cm, 3.73cm2, 19.87cm3 and 0.89cm-3 respectively. Average weight of the little gourds were found to be 16.5g. The surface area and bulk density of little gourds were found to be 180.6 sq.cm and 500 kg/m3. Performance evaluation of little gourd cutter was performed where slicing operation was performed at different motor speeds and voltages. High motor speed with voltage of 240V gave slices of 0.75mm which were suitable for household consumption

Ambient and Indoor Air Pollution in Pregnancy and the risk of Low birth weight and Ensuing Effects in Infants (APPLE): A cohort study in Bangalore, South India

Background: Exposure to air pollution (IAP) from the combustion of solid fuels is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Pregnant women exposed to higher pollutant levels are at higher risk of delivering a low-birth-weight (LBW) baby. There is a lack of standardized data regarding the levels and types of specific pollutants and how they impact LBW. We aim to prospectively assess the association between ambient and indoor air pollution levels in pregnancy and low birth weight and understand the subsequent risk of adiposity in these infants. Methods: We will conduct a prospective cohort study of 516 pregnant women recruited before 18 weeks of gestation in the urban slums of Bangalore, who have voluntarily consented to participate. We will estimate the level of air pollutants including coarse particulate matter 10 ug/m3 (PM10 ), fine particulate matter 2.5 ug/m3(PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) parts per million (ppm) levels in both indoor and ambient environment. The follow-up of the delivered children will be done at delivery until the infant is two years old. The association between pollutants and LBW will be evaluated using logistic regression adjusting for potential confounders.Further, we will explore the mediation role of LBW in the hypothesized causal chain of air pollution and adiposity. Nested within a larger Maternal Antecedents of Adiposity and Studying the Transgenerational role of Hyperglycemia and Insulin (MAASTHI) cohort, we can estimate the absolute risk of having low birth weight caused by air pollution and other variables. Discussion: Understanding the association between exposures to ambient and indoor air pollution and low birth weight is essential in India. LBW babies have a higher risk of developing obesity and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) during adulthood. The results from this study can inform the efforts for controlling the air pollution-related chronic diseases in India.</ns4:p

Ambient and Indoor Air Pollution in Pregnancy and the risk of Low birth weight and Ensuing Effects in Infants (APPLE): A cohort study in Bangalore, South India

Background: Exposure to air pollution (IAP) from the combustion of solid fuels is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Pregnant women exposed to higher pollutant levels are at higher risk of delivering a low-birth-weight (LBW) baby. There is a lack of standardized data regarding the levels and types of specific pollutants and how they impact LBW. We aim to prospectively assess the association between ambient and indoor air pollution levels in pregnancy and low birth weight and understand the subsequent risk of adiposity in these infants. Methods: We will conduct a prospective cohort study of 516 pregnant women recruited before 18 weeks of gestation in the urban slums of Bangalore, who have voluntarily consented to participate. We will estimate the level of air pollutants including coarse particulate matter 10 ug/m3 (PM10 ), fine particulate matter 2.5 ug/m3(PM2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) parts per million (ppm) levels in both indoor and ambient environment. The follow-up of the delivered children will be done at delivery until the infant is two years old. The association between pollutants and LBW will be evaluated using logistic regression adjusting for potential confounders.Further, we will explore the mediation role of LBW in the hypothesized causal chain of air pollution and adiposity. Nested within a larger Maternal Antecedents of Adiposity and Studying the Transgenerational role of Hyperglycemia and Insulin (MAASTHI) cohort, we can estimate the absolute risk of having low birth weight caused by air pollution and other variables. Discussion: Understanding the association between exposures to ambient and indoor air pollution and low birth weight is essential in India. LBW babies have a higher risk of developing obesity and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) during adulthood. The results from this study can inform the efforts for controlling the air pollution-related chronic diseases in India.</ns4:p

Neutrino Bremsstrahlung in Neutron Matter from Effective Nuclear Interactions

We revisit the emissivity from neutrino pair bremsstrahlung in neutron-neutron scattering, nn -> nn nu nubar, which was calculated from the one-pion exchange potential including correlation effects by Friman and Maxwell. Starting from the free-space low-momentum nucleon-nucleon interaction V_{low k}, we include tensor, spin-orbit and second-order medium-induced non-central contributions to the scattering amplitude in neutron matter. We find that the screening of the nucleon-nucleon interaction reduces the emissivity from neutrino bremsstrahlung for densities below nuclear matter density. We discuss the implications of medium modifications for the cooling of neutron stars via neutrino emission, taking into account recent results for the polarization effects on neutron superfluidity.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, minor revisions, to appear in Phys. Lett.

Conceptual Design of Fuel Dumping System in Aircraft

Airlines release the unburned jet fuel into the atmosphere to reduce the weight of aircraft before landing. Sometimes, aircraft reach a weight more than takeoff weight while departing from the airport. Therefore, the pilot follows the ATC comment to dump fuel into the atmosphere to reduce the aircraft\u27s weight to avoid accidents. Due to fuel dumping, an airline faces fuel consumption, loss, and several diseases affect environmental pollutants, and living things. The total fuel consumption of commercial airlines worldwide in 2021 is 57 billion gallons. If jet fuel routinely hit the ground, it would pollute water and land and damage crops and biodiversity. With this, we have worked on the project to rescue fuel dumping into the atmosphere and save living things from various diseases

Indian Ocean humpback dolphin stranded at Arthunkal landing centre, Kerala

On November 2, 2022, the carcass of a dead dolphin, Sousa plumbea (Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin), was discovered at the Arthunkal landing centre in Alapuzha, Kerala (9039’42.0”N 76017’29.5”E)