Metallic Glasses: A Revolution in Material Science

Metallic glasses represent one kind of advanced material, very popular in recent decades. These materials are very adaptable like plastics for their manufacturability in very complex shapes. TPF (Thermoplastic forming) based processes seem very good method to process them. These materials can compete with plastics but have metallic properties. They behave as magnetic materials with less hysteresis loss and less eddy current loss making them suitable for transformer and MEMS (Micro-Electromechanical System) applications. These materials exhibit good corrosion resistance, hardness and toughness. Based on the property and application, metallic glasses are good rivals to plastics, metals and ceramics. Chemical composition and kinetics of supercooling of these materials are the areas where young researchers can focus attention with a view to their improvement

Recent advances in smart integrated membrane assisted liquid extraction technology

Novel processes based on SIMALE have been proposed as effective methods for the selective separation of different chemical species such as metal ions, organic/biologically important compounds and gas mixtures from different waste streams including nuclear waste. The industrial use of supported liquid membranes based on conventional liquids is limited by their relative instability and short lifetime. Under SIMALE techniques, the stability of the SLM is ensured by a modified SLM with pseudo emulsion based hollow fiber strip dispersion or non-dispersive solvent extraction techniques. In order to promote operational stability, SIMALE, using ionic liquids, as a liquid membrane phase could overcome these inconveniences due to their negligible vapour pressure and the possibility of minimizing their solubility in the surrounding phases. SIMALE studies on membrane-based dense gas extraction reported higher extraction efficiencies when the near critical or supercritical solvent is used. This review also discuss important applications including scale up, process intensification aspects, current status of the technology and future directions.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950–2021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Estimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 provides new demographic estimates for 204 countries and territories and 811 additional subnational locations from 1950 to 2021, with a particular emphasis on changes in mortality and life expectancy that occurred during the 2020–21 COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods: 22 223 data sources from vital registration, sample registration, surveys, censuses, and other sources were used to estimate mortality, with a subset of these sources used exclusively to estimate excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2026 data sources were used for population estimation. Additional sources were used to estimate migration; the effects of the HIV epidemic; and demographic discontinuities due to conflicts, famines, natural disasters, and pandemics, which are used as inputs for estimating mortality and population. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate under-5 mortality rates, which synthesised 30 763 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 1365 surveys and censuses, and 80 other sources. ST-GPR was also used to estimate adult mortality (between ages 15 and 59 years) based on information from 31 642 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 355 surveys and censuses, and 24 other sources. Estimates of child and adult mortality rates were then used to generate life tables with a relational model life table system. For countries with large HIV epidemics, life tables were adjusted using independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated via an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys, antenatal clinic serosurveillance, and other data sources. Excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 was determined by subtracting observed all-cause mortality (adjusted for late registration and mortality anomalies) from the mortality expected in the absence of the pandemic. Expected mortality was calculated based on historical trends using an ensemble of models. In location-years where all-cause mortality data were unavailable, we estimated excess mortality rates using a regression model with covariates pertaining to the pandemic. Population size was computed using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model. Life expectancy was calculated using age-specific mortality rates and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were calculated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered values from a 1000-draw posterior distribution. Findings: Global all-cause mortality followed two distinct patterns over the study period: age-standardised mortality rates declined between 1950 and 2019 (a 62·8% [95% UI 60·5–65·1] decline), and increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020–21; 5·1% [0·9–9·6] increase). In contrast with the overall reverse in mortality trends during the pandemic period, child mortality continued to decline, with 4·66 million (3·98–5·50) global deaths in children younger than 5 years in 2021 compared with 5·21 million (4·50–6·01) in 2019. An estimated 131 million (126–137) people died globally from all causes in 2020 and 2021 combined, of which 15·9 million (14·7–17·2) were due to the COVID-19 pandemic (measured by excess mortality, which includes deaths directly due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and those indirectly due to other social, economic, or behavioural changes associated with the pandemic). Excess mortality rates exceeded 150 deaths per 100 000 population during at least one year of the pandemic in 80 countries and territories, whereas 20 nations had a negative excess mortality rate in 2020 or 2021, indicating that all-cause mortality in these countries was lower during the pandemic than expected based on historical trends. Between 1950 and 2021, global life expectancy at birth increased by 22·7 years (20·8–24·8), from 49·0 years (46·7–51·3) to 71·7 years (70·9–72·5). Global life expectancy at birth declined by 1·6 years (1·0–2·2) between 2019 and 2021, reversing historical trends. An increase in life expectancy was only observed in 32 (15·7%) of 204 countries and territories between 2019 and 2021. The global population reached 7·89 billion (7·67–8·13) people in 2021, by which time 56 of 204 countries and territories had peaked and subsequently populations have declined. The largest proportion of population growth between 2020 and 2021 was in sub-Saharan Africa (39·5% [28·4–52·7]) and south Asia (26·3% [9·0–44·7]). From 2000 to 2021, the ratio of the population aged 65 years and older to the population aged younger than 15 years increased in 188 (92·2%) of 204 nations. Interpretation: Global adult mortality rates markedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, reversing past decreasing trends, while child mortality rates continued to decline, albeit more slowly than in earlier years. Although COVID-19 had a substantial impact on many demographic indicators during the first 2 years of the pandemic, overall global health progress over the 72 years evaluated has been profound, with considerable improvements in mortality and life expectancy. Additionally, we observed a deceleration of global population growth since 2017, despite steady or increasing growth in lower-income countries, combined with a continued global shift of population age structures towards older ages. These demographic changes will likely present future challenges to health systems, economies, and societies. The comprehensive demographic estimates reported here will enable researchers, policy makers, health practitioners, and other key stakeholders to better understand and address the profound changes that have occurred in the global health landscape following the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and longer-term trends beyond the pandemic

Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Understanding the health consequences associated with exposure to risk factors is necessary to inform public health policy and practice. To systematically quantify the contributions of risk factor exposures to specific health outcomes, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 aims to provide comprehensive estimates of exposure levels, relative health risks, and attributable burden of disease for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, from 1990 to 2021. Methods: The GBD 2021 risk factor analysis used data from 54 561 total distinct sources to produce epidemiological estimates for 88 risk factors and their associated health outcomes for a total of 631 risk–outcome pairs. Pairs were included on the basis of data-driven determination of a risk–outcome association. Age-sex-location-year-specific estimates were generated at global, regional, and national levels. Our approach followed the comparative risk assessment framework predicated on a causal web of hierarchically organised, potentially combinative, modifiable risks. Relative risks (RRs) of a given outcome occurring as a function of risk factor exposure were estimated separately for each risk–outcome pair, and summary exposure values (SEVs), representing risk-weighted exposure prevalence, and theoretical minimum risk exposure levels (TMRELs) were estimated for each risk factor. These estimates were used to calculate the population attributable fraction (PAF; ie, the proportional change in health risk that would occur if exposure to a risk factor were reduced to the TMREL). The product of PAFs and disease burden associated with a given outcome, measured in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), yielded measures of attributable burden (ie, the proportion of total disease burden attributable to a particular risk factor or combination of risk factors). Adjustments for mediation were applied to account for relationships involving risk factors that act indirectly on outcomes via intermediate risks. Attributable burden estimates were stratified by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile and presented as counts, age-standardised rates, and rankings. To complement estimates of RR and attributable burden, newly developed burden of proof risk function (BPRF) methods were applied to yield supplementary, conservative interpretations of risk–outcome associations based on the consistency of underlying evidence, accounting for unexplained heterogeneity between input data from different studies. Estimates reported represent the mean value across 500 draws from the estimate's distribution, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) calculated as the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile values across the draws. Findings: Among the specific risk factors analysed for this study, particulate matter air pollution was the leading contributor to the global disease burden in 2021, contributing 8·0% (95% UI 6·7–9·4) of total DALYs, followed by high systolic blood pressure (SBP; 7·8% [6·4–9·2]), smoking (5·7% [4·7–6·8]), low birthweight and short gestation (5·6% [4·8–6·3]), and high fasting plasma glucose (FPG; 5·4% [4·8–6·0]). For younger demographics (ie, those aged 0–4 years and 5–14 years), risks such as low birthweight and short gestation and unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing (WaSH) were among the leading risk factors, while for older age groups, metabolic risks such as high SBP, high body-mass index (BMI), high FPG, and high LDL cholesterol had a greater impact. From 2000 to 2021, there was an observable shift in global health challenges, marked by a decline in the number of all-age DALYs broadly attributable to behavioural risks (decrease of 20·7% [13·9–27·7]) and environmental and occupational risks (decrease of 22·0% [15·5–28·8]), coupled with a 49·4% (42·3–56·9) increase in DALYs attributable to metabolic risks, all reflecting ageing populations and changing lifestyles on a global scale. Age-standardised global DALY rates attributable to high BMI and high FPG rose considerably (15·7% [9·9–21·7] for high BMI and 7·9% [3·3–12·9] for high FPG) over this period, with exposure to these risks increasing annually at rates of 1·8% (1·6–1·9) for high BMI and 1·3% (1·1–1·5) for high FPG. By contrast, the global risk-attributable burden and exposure to many other risk factors declined, notably for risks such as child growth failure and unsafe water source, with age-standardised attributable DALYs decreasing by 71·5% (64·4–78·8) for child growth failure and 66·3% (60·2–72·0) for unsafe water source. We separated risk factors into three groups according to trajectory over time: those with a decreasing attributable burden, due largely to declining risk exposure (eg, diet high in trans-fat and household air pollution) but also to proportionally smaller child and youth populations (eg, child and maternal malnutrition); those for which the burden increased moderately in spite of declining risk exposure, due largely to population ageing (eg, smoking); and those for which the burden increased considerably due to both increasing risk exposure and population ageing (eg, ambient particulate matter air pollution, high BMI, high FPG, and high SBP). Interpretation: Substantial progress has been made in reducing the global disease burden attributable to a range of risk factors, particularly those related to maternal and child health, WaSH, and household air pollution. Maintaining efforts to minimise the impact of these risk factors, especially in low SDI locations, is necessary to sustain progress. Successes in moderating the smoking-related burden by reducing risk exposure highlight the need to advance policies that reduce exposure to other leading risk factors such as ambient particulate matter air pollution and high SBP. Troubling increases in high FPG, high BMI, and other risk factors related to obesity and metabolic syndrome indicate an urgent need to identify and implement interventions

Plasma Smelting of Iron Ore Fines Having High Silica Content

A lot of ore fines are collected at iron ore mines. Till date no measure move is being made for usage of fines for extraction of metallic iron. Generally metallic iron is produced through BFO and DRI processes where particle/ore size and reductant is the most important factor considered for BF charge. The present piece of research work is aimed at use of iron ore fines for production of metallic iron. So there is a process adopted for increasing recovery called agglomeration, which includes pellets and sinter. A newly emerging technology i.e. plasma smelting process is adopted for reduction of iron ore fines. In this project Pellets of iron ore fines (60 % Fe), 8.4% carbon, 0.3%catalyst (containing Al 33%, Ca 20%, Si 5%, Mg 42%) was sintered at 1260 degree centigrade. It is charged to a 35 KW dc arc plasma furnace and smelted for different time lengths i.e. 7, 9 and 13min using argon and nitrogen, as plasma forming gas. The amount of recovery for all samples is measured. Maximum of 93.6 % recovery is achieved. It is observed that use of nitrogen as plasma forming gas increases the rate of recovery than that of argon plasma, due to high energy flux of nitrogen gas which increases the enthalpy due to its diatomicity. The X-ray diffraction analysis shows the presence of ferrite, iron carbide and ferrosilicon nitride phases in the smelted product. Variation of microstructure is observed with the samples. The hardness measurement of different phases on the sample ensured the presence of ferrite, iron carbide and ferrosilicon phases depending on smelting conditio

Mechanical, Tribological and Hydrophobic Properties Evaluation of Atmospheric Plasma Sprayed NiTi Coating

In the current investigation, the atmospheric plasma spray technique was implemented to develop a protective coating of NiTi alloy on the mild steel substrate using different primary gas flow rates and plasma arc currents. For this purpose, an elemental mixture of equiatomic Ni and Ti powder was considered as the feedstock material. After successful deposition, the coatings were characterized using various characterization methods. The physical, mechanical, and tribological properties of the coatings were determined. Furthermore, the plasma spray process parameters were optimized using different optimization tools to achieve the best product. The physical and mechanical properties include the investigation of phase, microstructure, porosity, deposition efficiency, surface roughness, microhardness, adhesion strength, and correlation. The phase analysis revealed the presence of various phases in the coatings, such as NiTi-B2, Ni3Ti, Ti2Ni, Ni, Ti, NiO, TiO, and Ni4Ti3. From the microstructural analysis, various surface and interface defects such as surface microcracks, unmelted/partially melted particles, surface pores, splat fracture, interface porosity, inter-lamellar cracks, vertical cracks, inter-splat cracks, etc. were observed in the coatings developed at lower primary gas flow rates and plasma arc currents. Furthermore, the molten fraction of the powders, thermal pinching effect, enthalpy effect, and air diffusion into the plasma plume influenced the microhardness values of the plasma sprayed NiTi coating. The mechanical interlocking phenomenon of the coating is mainly responsible for the adhesion strength variation of the coatings. The adhesion strength analysis of the coatings depicted various failure modes such as adhesive failure, cohesive failure, mixed-mode failure, glue joint failure, etc. The tribological behavior of the NiTi plasma sprayed coatings was analyzed by the solid particle erosion test performed at two different erodent impingement angles, i.e., 45˚ and 90˚. The results revealed that with the increase in primary gas flow rate and plasma arc current, the erosion rate of the samples eroded with 90˚ erodent impingement angle increase due to the rise in brittle nature of the surface. The lack of edge strength and increase in stress concentration of the coatings having more porosity percentage lead to more damage by the erodents at both the angles of impingements. Furthermore, the surface area of the roughness peaks and the gap between the roughness peaks also influenced the erosion rate of the coatings. Again, due to the difficulty in penetration of the erodent in the surface of the coatings having a higher hardness, the erosion rate is less in those samples. Various wear mechanisms have been observed in the eroded samples, such as plastic deformation, ploughing, microcutting, lip formation, scratches, groove formation, splat fracture, splat fragmentation, splat delamination, pit formation, etc. To optimize the process parameters of the plasma spray coating, in the current work, two optimization techniques were considered. Initially, using the genetic algorithm technique, the process parameters were optimized, and then to validate the obtained result the fuzzy-TOPSIS technique was adopted. From the genetic algorithm, the obtained results revealed the optimized parameters as plasma arc current 550 A and primary gas flow rate as 45 lpm, and the fuzzy-TOPSIS technique also confirmed the same. Also, the primary gas flow rate was the major contributing factor proved by the ANOVA technique. The coating developed at optimized process parameters revealed the superhydrophobic characteristic ensured by the water contact angle 165º and sliding angles 8±10. The surface profile of the coating supports the theory. The coating loses its superhydrophobic characteristics after 90 passes of abrasion in sandpaper. Furthermore, from the annealing, it was observed that the coating retained its superhydrophobic characteristics up to 400 ˚C. The pH test disclosed the sensitiveness of the coatings in an acidic (pH=10) and basic (pH=2) environment. The dropwise evaporation analysis ensured the lower heat absorption of the coating. The coating also has interchanging characteristics in the presence of an electric field

Calibrating the lives and lived experiences of teachers in India: A plea for research

The purpose of this study is to highlight the insufficient understanding of the lives and concerns of government schoolteachers in India, who are often blamed for the deteriorating state of public schools in the country.  It examines previous studies on the subject and contends that they have not adequately represented the teachers' perspectives and voices. In order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the Indian teaching workforce, it is crucial to conduct research that delves into the personal lives and experiences of Indian teachers. To this end, this review paper adopts a hermeneutic approach to select relevant studies for analysis. We explore the evolution of research on the lives of teachers as a distinct field of study, and introduce several prominent studies in this area to provide a foundation for future research in the Indian context. Ultimately, we identify several key questions that can be addressed through an examination of the lives of Indian teachers

Hollow fiber membrane-based analytical techniques recent advances

Problems of chemical analysis almost always involve two steps; separation of the desired constituent and measurement of the amount or concentration of this constituent. Under the scope of these two steps, sample preparation, proposed analytical technique, and instrumention coupled with analytical system are of paramount importance. Among various analytical techniques, membrane extraction has gained great attention due to its several merits as compared to conventional methods. In all types of membrane extraction, the membrane separates the sample phase (often called donor or feed solution) from the acceptor or strip phase, and the analyte molecules pass through the membrane from the donor to the acceptor. The membrane extraction techniques can be divided into porous and nonporous membrane techniques. Another distinction is between one-, two-, and three-phase membrane extraction techniques.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Thyroid function test in sickle cell disease: Thyroid function test

Abstract OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the thyroid function (T3, T4, and thyroid stimulating hormone levels) in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD).  METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the general medicine department of the Veer Surendra Sai Medical College and Hospital, Burla, Sambalpur, Odisha (India). The investigation was performed in the sickle cell clinic, medical ward, and outpatient department (OPD) of the institute. This study was conducted from Nov-2019 to Oct-2021. Sixty-eight patients with SCD were enrolled for assessing their thyroid function. The reference ranges for serum T4 (4.5-12 µg/dL), serum T3 (60-200 ng/dL), and thyroid stimulating hormone (0.3-5.5 uIU/mL) were defined to evaluate the thyroid function. RESULTS:  The average thyroid stimulating hormone, mean T4 level, and mean T3 level among the patients were 4.02, 4.67, and 74.15, respectively. The incidence rates of hypothyroidism and euthyroid status were 23.5% and 76.5%, respectively. While 9.59gm/dL was the mean hemoglobin level, 11-16gm/dL was observed in 42.6% of patients compared to <11gm/dL in 57.4% of patients. Patients within the age group of 14-25 years had a higher incidence of hypothyroidism (62.5%). The differences in hypothyroidism between males and females were statistically insignificant (68.8% vs. 31.2%, p=0.11).  CONCLUSION: Patients with SCD had clinically significant reductions in T3 and T4 levels. In addition, higher levels of thyroid stimulating hormone and reductions in endogenous T3/T4 levels were observed in male patients. Overall, SCD was associated with a higher incidence of hypothyroidism. &nbsp

Recent advances in smart integrated membrane assisted liquid extraction technology

Novel processes based on SIMALE have been proposed as effective methods for the selective separation of different chemical species such as metal ions, organic/biologically important compounds and gas mixtures from different waste streams including nuclear waste. The industrial use of supported liquid membranes based on conventional liquids is limited by their relative instability and short lifetime. Under SIMALE techniques, the stability of the SLM is ensured by a modified SLM with pseudo emulsion based hollow fiber strip dispersion or non-dispersive solvent extraction techniques. In order to promote operational stability, SIMALE, using ionic liquids, as a liquid membrane phase could overcome these inconveniences due to their negligible vapour pressure and the possibility of minimizing their solubility in the surrounding phases. SIMALE studies on membrane-based dense gas extraction reported higher extraction efficiencies when the near critical or supercritical solvent is used. This review also discuss important applications including scale up, process intensification aspects, current status of the technology and future directions.Peer Reviewe