Nematic - Isotropic Transition in Porous Media - a Monte Carlo Study

We propose a lattice model to simulate the influence of porous medium on the Nematic - Isotropic transition of liquid crystal confined to the pores. The effects of pore size and pore connectivity are modelled through a disorder parameter. Monte Carlo calculations based on the model leads to results that compare well with experiments.Comment: 11 pages; 4 figure

The impact factor and taxonomy

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The Role of Autonomous Colleges in the Context of Globalization

Globalization is a widely used term which has acquired several meanings varying in their degree of precision, among intellectuals, media, multilateral lending agencies, business community, environmentalists, economists, traders, educationalists and others. Globalization is very closely connected with the concepts of liberalization, privatization, free markets, centrality of productivity, cultural pluralism transnationalism, informatisation and so on. Education in general and teacher education in particular occupies a significant role in the modern context of the global society. Every country develops its system of education to express and promote its unique socio-cultural identity and also to meet the challenges of the time. Globalization has replaced the intrinsic value of teacher education with an instrumental value. Consequently education is identified as a salable commodity and non-salable knowledge is sealed down in the global perspective. The rapid global expansion of knowledge demands an over--all re-organization of education, especially a. basic change in the perspective and process of teacher education

Rotor Flux Reference Generation Control Strategy for Direct Torque Controlled DFIG

The wind turbines based Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) is not able to support the voltage and the frequency of the grid during and immediately following the grid failure. This would cause major problems for the systems stability, but the turbines should stay connected to the grid in case of a failure. This can be achieved by using crowbar protection in particularly during voltage dips. When low depth voltage dips occur, the necessity of crowbar protection can be eliminated by using proposed Direct Torque Control (DTC), with a proper rotor flux generation strategy, by which during the fault it will be possible to maintain the machine connected to grid, generating power from the wind, reducing the stator and rotor over currents, eliminating the torque oscillations that normally produce such voltage dips and fast dynamic response accompanies the overall control of the wind turbine. In this chapter, the DFIG performance is analyzed and the results are presented for with proposed control strategy with and without voltage dip, without control strategy with voltage dip, and control strategy during longer voltage dip

Electronic Measurement of Milk Adulteration using Microwave Frequencies

Food adulteration is an act for debasing the quality of food with an admixture or through the substitution of inferior substances or by removing some invaluable ingredients from the food product. Milk could be adulterated by adding water or by removing the cream or by adding artificial coloring agents like Annatto, caramel, coal tar, preservatives like formaldehyde, boric and other acids. There are several ways of identifying whether the milk has been adulterated or not and most of these techniques use chemicals. In this paper a method is proposed which is based on the change in the dielectric constant of the milk when it is adulterated. This change in the dielectric constant or the attenuation constant is frequency dependent and can be measured at microwave frequencies. In this paper an experimental set up has been proposed using a microwave frequency source and Arduino board is used

A study of factors determining outcome of acute kidney injury patients requiring hemodialysis

Background: High mortality rate in acute kidney injury (AKI) has interested many authors to conduct studies about factors predicting its outcome. The need for both dialysis and ICU care defines a group of critically ill patients who may have poor prognosis and consume vast amounts of resources. In this study we determine the variables predicting the outcome of patients with severe acute kidney failure requiring haemodialysis and to ascertain the aetiology of acute kidney injury in this group.Methods: We prospectively analysed 114 patients admitted with severe renal failure requiring renal replacement therapy over a period of one year. The influence of various factors such as demographic variables, pre morbidities, details of admission, clinical presentation and extent of organ dysfunction on the clinical outcome such as mortality and progression to end stage kidney disease were statistically analyzed using SPSS version 12 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Ill).Results: Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that parameters such as chronic liver disease, preexisting heart disease, mechanical ventilation and vasopressor requirement, oliguria, sepsis, hepatorenal syndrome, cardiogenic shock and admission in ICU were associated with high mortality (p<0.05). Of the 114 patients, 49 died (42.98%), 61 (53.5%) were dialysis independent and 4 patients (3.5%) progressed to end stage renal disease (ESRD).Conclusions: AKI patients requiring hemodialysis were associated with high hospital mortality.  Patients who were diagnosed to have acute glomerulonephritis especially rapidly progressing glomerulonephritis as the cause of AKI were more prone to ESRD. Most survivors were dialysis independent at the time of discharge

A study of clinicopathological features and outcomes of crescentic glomerulonephritis

Background: Crescentic Glomerulonephritis (CrGN) is characterized by rapidly progressive renal failure. Most of the literatures have defined >50% crescents in biopsy as CrGN. Only very few studies have included the presence of 10% crescents on renal biopsy and comparing them splitting our diagnosis into Immune Complex Mediated CrGN (ICCGN) and non-immune complex mediated CrGN (NICCGN) groups.Results: ICCGN was the commonest group. When compared to ICCGN group, NICCGN patients were older, anuric, had more glomerular necrosis and severe IFTA in biopsy at presentation, more became dialysis dependent at index visit discharge. When patients with >50% crescents in both the groups were compared similar results were seen except that infective complications and proliferative lesions were more in ICCGN. When patients with 60%, moderate to severe IFTA are the independent risk factors for dialysis dependency at index visit discharge

Characterization of Printed Podal Vivaldi Antenna (8–18 GHz) on RT Duroid with Single and Double Cavity

In today’s modern communication systems, miniaturized and lightweight subsystems covering broad bandwidth are in much demand as they lead to realization of very compact and lightweight systems. A printed podal Vivaldi antenna with single as well as double cavities fed with strip line transmission line and operating from X band to KU band (8–18 GHz) is proposed. The comparison of antenna performance for single cavity and double cavity is also reported. Using double cavity, the miniaturization of antenna is possible as compared to single cavity Vivaldi antenna. The antenna is first designed using conventional theoretical approaches. Later, it is simulated using a 3D EM simulation software, CST Microwave StudioTM. The optimal value for taper length is 6.86455 cm and cavity diameter is 1.582 cm. Finally, the design is physically fabricated using PCB technology for carrying out practical measurement. The antenna’s input impedance characteristic is measured in the form of S-parameter and VSWR using Vector network analyzer. VSWR less than 3:1 is achieved over the band from 8 to 18 GHz. The radiation pattern measurements are carried out in anechoic chamber. The proposed Vivaldi antenna is used for digital data transmission via satellites and for voice/audio transmissions

Role of integrated therapy and nutritional counselling in treating malnourished children in M-East ward Mumbai, India: A Longitudinal Study

Background: Under-nutrition is a big risk factor for increasing the morbidity and mortality burden in the society. Acute malnutrition contributes to almost 61% of diarrheal and 53% of pneumonia deaths. In urban slums like M-East ward, Mumbai, acute malnutrition prevalence ranges from 16% to 59.8%. Objectives: To assess the outcome of weight gain by providing nutritional supplements to the undernourished children along with nutritional counseling. Materials and Methods: RUTF (Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food) and Hyderabad mix with nutritional counselling to parents of children were used to reduce the undernourishment among the under-five children in slums of this ward. Six hundred and fifty malnourished children and their caregivers were provided nutritional supplement and nutritional counselling over 6 months. Results: There was steady wight gain of enrolled children. Highest weight gain occurred over 13th week of the program. Conclusion: A minimum of thirteen weeks nutritional supplement program including fortnightly counselling is necessary and sufficient for converting undernourished children to normal.

Flowering Plants of the Western Ghats, India

Reviewed: Flowering Plants of the Western Ghats, India by T. S. Nayar, A. Rasiya Beegam and M. Sibi. 2014. Thiruvananthapuram, India:  Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute. 1683 + i–x + i–vi pp., in 2 volumes. ISBN 978-81-920098-2-7 and ISBN 978-81-920098-3-4