Influence of Wave Parameters on Reshaping of Statically Stable Berm Breakwater in Shallow Water

Source: ICHE Conference Archive - https://mdi-de.baw.de/icheArchiv

Determination of Surface Area of Head for Biomedical and other Applications

A simple, rapid and reproducible method has been devised for measuring the surface area of the head relevant for armour design. In this method, the following stages are involved: (i) securing a kraft paper over the head with the help of elastic band, (ii) tightly folding the paper wherever necessary to make a snug contour-matched paper dome, (iii) marking the folded areas with lines, (iv) spreading the paper and cutting out areas within the folds and the area filling outside the marked periphery of interest, (v) weighing the cut-out pieces and few pieces of known area from the same sheet, and finally (vi) calculating the head-surface area. Preliminary data on 12 volunteers indicated that head-surface area has no significant correlation with their age, total body-surface area calculated from height and weight or with the circumference of their heads. A significant and positive correlation was found with cephalic length. The new method can find application in biomedical studies and head gear designs (e.g. helmets)

Preparation of transversely isotropic test specimen of natural FRP composite - an innovative approach-II

Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) composites can be broadly classified as synthetic and natural, based on the type of fibers incorporated. Abundantly available natural fibers like toddy palm, sisal, jute and banana are attracting the attention of researchers due to ever increasing demand for lighter, stronger and eco-friendly materials from the industry. However, natural fibers are limited in length, not so uniform in size and behave differently in different atmospheric conditions. Added to this, the inherent tendency of natural fibers to twist and curl in dry conditions poses many problems to researchers while preparing test specimens. Researchers in general and academicians in particular are handicapped by non-availability of relevant literature on fabrication techniques to prepare natural FRP composite test specimens close to their analytical models. Present paper addresses typical problems faced by researchers during preparation of unidirectional continuous fiber reinforced composite test specimen ensuring transversely isotropic nature. Using simple hand tools coupled with a few precautions taken as described herein, prospective researchers can condition natural fibers and prepare composite specimen to suit their requirements.&nbsp

Preparation of transversely isotropic test specimen of glass FRP composite - an innovative approach-I

FRP composites have attracted attention of researchers due to ever increasing demand for lighter and stronger materials from the industry, more so from aerospace and automotive sector. Researchers, particularly in academic institutions, are suffering due to non-availability of detailed information on fabrication techniques for preparing FRP test specimens that are equivalent to an analytical model. Accurate test specimen close to analytical model reduces the compulsion of going for unrealistic assumptions that takes the analysis away from reality. An easy to follow method to design, compute and achieve correct volume fraction is presented in this work. A technique for preparing and dismantling molds with commonly available materials is presented in detail. Using simple tools and tackles coupled with a few precautions followed as described herein, prospective researchers can fabricate FRP test specimen close to their requirement.&nbsp

Nuclear oxidation in flavones and related compounds. Part XXXIV. Para- oxidation in the side-phenyl nucleus: Preparation of 6'- hydroxy-myricetin

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Worldwide trends in diabetes since 1980: a pooled analysis of 751 population-based studies with 4.4 million participants

BACKGROUND: One of the global targets for non-communicable diseases is to halt, by 2025, the rise in the age-standardised adult prevalence of diabetes at its 2010 levels. We aimed to estimate worldwide trends in diabetes, how likely it is for countries to achieve the global target, and how changes in prevalence, together with population growth and ageing, are affecting the number of adults with diabetes. METHODS: We pooled data from population-based studies that had collected data on diabetes through measurement of its biomarkers. We used a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate trends in diabetes prevalence—defined as fasting plasma glucose of 7·0 mmol/L or higher, or history of diagnosis with diabetes, or use of insulin or oral hypoglycaemic drugs—in 200 countries and territories in 21 regions, by sex and from 1980 to 2014. We also calculated the posterior probability of meeting the global diabetes target if post-2000 trends continue. FINDINGS: We used data from 751 studies including 4 372 000 adults from 146 of the 200 countries we make estimates for. Global age-standardised diabetes prevalence increased from 4·3% (95% credible interval 2·4–7·0) in 1980 to 9·0% (7·2–11·1) in 2014 in men, and from 5·0% (2·9–7·9) to 7·9% (6·4–9·7) in women. The number of adults with diabetes in the world increased from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014 (28·5% due to the rise in prevalence, 39·7% due to population growth and ageing, and 31·8% due to interaction of these two factors). Age-standardised adult diabetes prevalence in 2014 was lowest in northwestern Europe, and highest in Polynesia and Micronesia, at nearly 25%, followed by Melanesia and the Middle East and north Africa. Between 1980 and 2014 there was little change in age-standardised diabetes prevalence in adult women in continental western Europe, although crude prevalence rose because of ageing of the population. By contrast, age-standardised adult prevalence rose by 15 percentage points in men and women in Polynesia and Micronesia. In 2014, American Samoa had the highest national prevalence of diabetes (>30% in both sexes), with age-standardised adult prevalence also higher than 25% in some other islands in Polynesia and Micronesia. If post-2000 trends continue, the probability of meeting the global target of halting the rise in the prevalence of diabetes by 2025 at the 2010 level worldwide is lower than 1% for men and is 1% for women. Only nine countries for men and 29 countries for women, mostly in western Europe, have a 50% or higher probability of meeting the global target. INTERPRETATION: Since 1980, age-standardised diabetes prevalence in adults has increased, or at best remained unchanged, in every country. Together with population growth and ageing, this rise has led to a near quadrupling of the number of adults with diabetes worldwide. The burden of diabetes, both in terms of prevalence and number of adults affected, has increased faster in low-income and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. FUNDING: Wellcome Trust

Diminishing benefits of urban living for children and adolescents’ growth and development

Optimal growth and development in childhood and adolescence is crucial for lifelong health and well-being1–6. Here we used data from 2,325 population-based studies, with measurements of height and weight from 71 million participants, to report the height and body-mass index (BMI) of children and adolescents aged 5–19 years on the basis of rural and urban place of residence in 200 countries and territories from 1990 to 2020. In 1990, children and adolescents residing in cities were taller than their rural counterparts in all but a few high-income countries. By 2020, the urban height advantage became smaller in most countries, and in many high-income western countries it reversed into a small urban-based disadvantage. The exception was for boys in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in some countries in Oceania, south Asia and the region of central Asia, Middle East and north Africa. In these countries, successive cohorts of boys from rural places either did not gain height or possibly became shorter, and hence fell further behind their urban peers. The difference between the age-standardized mean BMI of children in urban and rural areas was <1.1 kg m–2 in the vast majority of countries. Within this small range, BMI increased slightly more in cities than in rural areas, except in south Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and some countries in central and eastern Europe. Our results show that in much of the world, the growth and developmental advantages of living in cities have diminished in the twenty-first century, whereas in much of sub-Saharan Africa they have amplified

Repositioning of the global epicentre of non-optimal cholesterol

High blood cholesterol is typically considered a feature of wealthy western countries1,2. However, dietary and behavioural determinants of blood cholesterol are changing rapidly throughout the world3 and countries are using lipid-lowering medications at varying rates. These changes can have distinct effects on the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, which have different effects on human health4,5. However, the trends of HDL and non-HDL cholesterol levels over time have not been previously reported in a global analysis. Here we pooled 1,127 population-based studies that measured blood lipids in 102.6 million individuals aged 18 years and older to estimate trends from 1980 to 2018 in mean total, non-HDL and HDL cholesterol levels for 200 countries. Globally, there was little change in total or non-HDL cholesterol from 1980 to 2018. This was a net effect of increases in low- and middle-income countries, especially in east and southeast Asia, and decreases in high-income western countries, especially those in northwestern Europe, and in central and eastern Europe. As a result, countries with the highest level of non-HDL cholesterol—which is a marker of cardiovascular risk—changed from those in western Europe such as Belgium, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Malta in 1980 to those in Asia and the Pacific, such as Tokelau, Malaysia, The Philippines and Thailand. In 2017, high non-HDL cholesterol was responsible for an estimated 3.9 million (95% credible interval 3.7 million–4.2 million) worldwide deaths, half of which occurred in east, southeast and south Asia. The global repositioning of lipid-related risk, with non-optimal cholesterol shifting from a distinct feature of high-income countries in northwestern Europe, north America and Australasia to one that affects countries in east and southeast Asia and Oceania should motivate the use of population-based policies and personal interventions to improve nutrition and enhance access to treatment throughout the world