PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT OF IC ENGINE BY CHANGING PISTON CONFIGURATION & REDUCING EMISSION BY USING CFD

Internal combustion engines in now a days is the best available reliable source of power for all domestic, large scale industrial and transportation applications. The major issue arises at the efficiency of these engines. Every attempt made to improve these engines tends to attain the maximum efficiency. The performances of the diesel engines are enhanced by proper design of inlet manifold, exhaust manifold, combustion chamber, piston etc. The study is about the effect of piston configurations on in- cylinder flow. Here a single cylinder direct injection diesel engine is used for study. For obtaining swirl intensity helical-spiral combination inlet manifold is used. Increase in swirl intensity results in better mixing of fuel and air. Swirl Velocities in the charge can be substantially increased during compression by suitable design of the piston. In the present work, a study on the effect of different piston configuration on air motion and turbulence inside the cylinder of a Direct Injection (DI) diesel is carried out using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code Fluent 16.0. Three dimensional models of the manifolds, pistons and the cylinder is created in CATIA V5 and meshed using the pre-processor ANSA v15.1.1

鳥取県におけるアズキ (Vigna angularis) 栽培-雑草-野生種複合集団の収集とモニタリング

Tottori Prefecture was visited twice during 2002 at the flowering time and seed maturity of wild azuki (Vigna angularis var. nipponensis) in order to record population variation and obtain samples for population genetic analysis. Maps showing characteristics of populations sampled are provided (Fig. 1-11). The characteristics of wild azuki populations sampled are given (Table 1). The characteristics of each population is influenced by a range of different factors that include vegetation cutting, weeding, time of seed maturity, seeds moved by animals and in soil as a result of construction projects. Farmer\u27s practices suggest gene introgression occurs from wild to cultivated azuki as cultivated azuki seed size is reported to decrease over time. Data and leaf samples from over 300 individuals in 29 wild populations in addition to cultivated azuki were obtained (Supplementary table). A relationship between seed weight, growth habit and seed color was observed (Fig. 12). Semi-erect wild azuki is thought to be the result of outcrossing between wild and cultivated azuki and erect small black-seeded wild individuals might represent escaped old cultivars. The materials collected will be subjected to microsatellite analysis and results combined with field data to enable the population dynamics of the azuki bean complex in Tottori Prefecture to be determined

The effect of probiotics and zinc supplementation on the immune response to oral rotavirus vaccine: A randomized, factorial design, placebo-controlled study among Indian infants.

BACKGROUND: Strategies are needed to improve oral rotavirus vaccine (RV), which provides suboptimal protection in developing countries. Probiotics and zinc supplementation could improve RV immunogenicity by altering the intestinal microbiota and immune function. METHODS: Infants 5weeks old living in urban Vellore, India were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with a 4-arm factorial design to assess the effects of daily zinc (5mg), probiotic (1010Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) or placebo on the immunogenicity of two doses of RV (Rotarix®, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals) given at 6 and 10weeks of age. Infants were eligible for participation if healthy, available for the study duration and without prior receipt of RV or oral poliovirus vaccine other than the birth dose. The primary outcome was seroconversion to rotavirus at 14weeks of age based on detection of VP6-specific IgA at ?20U/ml in previously seronegative infants or a fourfold rise in concentration. RESULTS: The study took place during July 2012 to February 2013. 620 infants were randomized equally between study arms and 551 (88.9%) completed per protocol. Seroconversion was recorded in 54/137 (39.4%), 42/136 (30.9%), 40/143 (28.0%), and 37/135 (27.4%) infants receiving (1) probiotic and zinc, (2) probiotic and placebo, (3) placebo and zinc, (4) two placebos. Seroconversion showed a modest improvement among infants receiving probiotic (difference between groups 1, 2 and 3, 4 was 7.5% (97.5% Confidence Interval (CI): -1.4%, 16.2%), p=0.066) but not zinc (difference between groups 1, 3 and 2, 4 was 4.4% (97.5% CI: -4.4%, 13.2%), p=0.272). 16 serious adverse events were recorded, none related to study interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Zinc or probiotic supplementation did not significantly improve the low immunogenicity of rotavirus vaccine given to infants in a poor urban community in India. A modest effect of combined supplementation deserves further investigation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered in India (CTRI/2012/05/002677)

Quantity and quality of randomized controlled trials published by Indian physiotherapists

Background and Objectives: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered as the gold standard evidence for determining efficacy of interventions. Physiotherapeutic interventions are essential in the management of various conditions. However, information on the quantity and quality of RCTs published by Indian physiotherapists is largely unknown. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to review the RCTs published by Indian physiotherapists for analyzing publication trend and its quality. Materials and Methods: Medline database was searched for eligible RCTs published by Indian physiotherapists between the years 2000 and 2013. We performed quantitative analysis of RCTs including type of participants, area of focus in physiotherapy, clinical condition and geographical location of first author′s affiliation and analyzed the methodological quality and reporting of RCTs using Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale and consolidated standards of reporting trials (CONSORTs) key criterion statement, respectively. Results: A total of 45 RCTs have been published by Indian physiotherapists. The common conditions investigated in the trials were low back pain (16.3%), followed by diabetes (6.7%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (6.7%). The mean score of PEDro is 5.5 (standard deviation: 1.2). Trial registration (3 [7%]) and sample size calculation (28.9%) are the most common CONSORT items not reported in the trials. Interpretation and Conclusions: RCTs published by Indian physiotherapists is gradually increasing in numbers and the methodological qualities of studies are fair. However, there is substantial scope for improvement in conducting and reporting trials. In the future, Indian physiotherapists should focus more on conditions such as stroke, asthma, and others, which have a larger burden of illness among Indian population