Drop Weight Impact Studies on Rib-Knit RTM Laminates

Six types of weft rib knit preforms developed on a flat bed hand knitting machine from E-glass rovings of 300Tex have been used in this study. RTM laminates prepared from these six preforms were drop weight tested using a Dynatup CRC model with 830-1 data acquisition software. Glass/epoxy woven fabric composites with varied lay-up sequences were used for comparison and evaluation with these knit laminates under identical test conditions. Laminates from knits 'with' added reinforcements in the course direction have clearly exhibited characteristic failure modes and superior energy absorbing capabilities as compared to the corresponding woven counterparts

Correlation of Lipid Peroxidation with Glycated Haemoglobin Levels in Diabetes Mellitus

Reactive oxygen species are crucial to normal biological processes; they are potentially dangerous and are commonly referred to as prooxidants. The reactive oxygen intermediates can cause direct cellular injury by including lipid and protein peroxidation and damage to nucleic acid. The polyunsaturated fatty acids present in the cells are vulnerable to free radicals causing lipid peroxidation. Determination of Malondialdehyde (MDA) by using thiobarbituric acid is used as an index of the extent of lipid peroxidation. This study was done to know if lipid peroxidation correlated with the glycated haemoglobin levels. Diabetic status was assessed by estimating fasting blood sugar and glycated haemoglobin level while oxidant stress was evaluated by estimating erythrocyte MDA levels. The lipid peroxidation in erythrocyte lysates was significantly increased in diabetic individuals compared to controls (p<0.001). The result of this study indicates that in diabetic individuals are more prone to oxidative stress and glycated haemoglobin is a marker in evaluating the long term glycemic status in diabetic individuals

A coarse-grained biophysical model of sequence evolution and the population size dependence of the speciation rate.

Speciation is fundamental to understanding the huge diversity of life on Earth. Although still controversial, empirical evidence suggests that the rate of speciation is larger for smaller populations. Here, we explore a biophysical model of speciation by developing a simple coarse-grained theory of transcription factor-DNA binding and how their co-evolution in two geographically isolated lineages leads to incompatibilities. To develop a tractable analytical theory, we derive a Smoluchowski equation for the dynamics of binding energy evolution that accounts for the fact that natural selection acts on phenotypes, but variation arises from mutations in sequences; the Smoluchowski equation includes selection due to both gradients in fitness and gradients in sequence entropy, which is the logarithm of the number of sequences that correspond to a particular binding energy. This simple consideration predicts that smaller populations develop incompatibilities more quickly in the weak mutation regime; this trend arises as sequence entropy poises smaller populations closer to incompatible regions of phenotype space. These results suggest that a generic coarse-grained approach to evolutionary stochastic dynamics allows realistic modelling at the phenotypic level

Study of vibration and its effect on health of the motorcycle rider

The motorcycle riders are subjected to extreme vibrations due to the vibrations of its engine, improper structural design of the motorcycle and the bad road conditions. The literature review reveals that the vibrations are most hazardous to the health if it exceeds the limit. The experiments were conducted to measure the magnitude of the vibrations acting on the rider during motorcycle riding under various road conditions. Experimental values of accelerations and frequencies which are beyond permissible limits according to the literature confirm that vibration certainly affects health of the motorcycle rider

The Recuperating Ability of Cauliflower Coral (Pocillopora Damicornis) and Staghorn Coral (Acropora sp.) to Temperature Stress

Rising temperatures of the world’s waters place our coral reefs under stress, which can lead to coral bleaching, where corals expel their zooxanthellae. With the alarming rates of the depletion of coral reefs over the last 30 years, it is crucial to comprehend the corals’ ability to recover from stressful situations. In this experiment, we will investigate the recuperating ability of the corals Pocillopora Damicornis and Acropora sp. by exposing them to elevated temperatures that causes these corals to “stress”, and then measure their rate of recovery through the comparison of color pigmentations with healthy corals. Terminal branch samples will be collected, with some being placed in a separate tank with aspects equivalent to the original location to establish a control group. The others will be placed in a tank filled with various tools (heaters, water pumps, and artificial light) that can be altered to meet requirements needed to create a “stressful situation”, where atypical conditions take place to disrupt the critical symbiotic relationship between the coral and its zooxanthellae (responsible for the color pigmentation). Thermometers and cameras will be set around the tank to record the progression. We will gradually increase the temperature from ~30°C, to 32°C, and 34°C within two day intervals. After looking for and noting signs of stress, we will gradually decrease the water temperature to ambient and will observe the more resilient species based on returning color pigmentation. Understanding the resilience levels corals possess plays a vital role in the preservation of the reef’s crowning glory

A Study on Proteolytic Enzyme Activity in the Erythrocytes of Diabetic Patients

The present study demonstrates the possibility of increased proteolytic activities in diabetic individuals. Proteolytic activity was measured by the amount of amino group released by the erythrocyte lysate of the diabetic individual using phenylhydrazine treated hemoglobin as substrate. The proteolytic activity in erythrocyte lysates against oxidatively damaged hemoglobin was significantly increased in diabetic individuals compared to controls (p<0.001).The result of this study indicates that in diabetic individuals, proteolytic enzymes degrade many oxidatively altered proteins preventing the accumulation of altered and damaged proteins in the cell

A Pilot Study for Enhancing Postpartum Discharge Instructions for Incision Care: Assessment of Comprehension

Literacy and Health Care • 14.5% of United States is illiterate 1 • Reading level of most medical forms is 10th grade 2 Improving Outcomes with a Visual Aid • Cesarean Surgical Site Infection (SSI) rate is 5% 3 • A patient with a SSI can be 2 times as expensive 4 • Visual aids improve information recall 8 and confidence in wound care 5 Study Objectives 1. To evaluate the readability of the cesarean wound care discharge instructions relative to the patient population’s reading level 2. To conduct a pilot Randomized Control Trial (RCT) to evaluate the effectiveness of a visual aid on improving comprehension of the cesarean wound care instructionshttps://jdc.jefferson.edu/cwicposters/1034/thumbnail.jp

Integrating photovoltaic cells into decorative architectural glass using traditonal glasspainting techniques and fluorescent dyes

Photovoltaic cells can be integrated into decorative glass, providing a showcase for this renewable technology, whilst assisting in the creation of sustainable architecture through generation of electricity from the building surface. However, traditional, opaque, square, crystalline-silicon solar cells contrast strongly with their surroundings when incorporated into translucent, coloured glazing. Methods of blending photovoltaic cells into their surroundings were developed, using traditional glass painting techniques. A design was created in which opaque paint was applied to the areas of glass around underlying photovoltaic cells. Translucent, platinum paint was used on the glass behind the photovoltaic cells. This covered the grey cell backs whilst reflecting light and movement. The platinum paint was shown to cause a slight increase in power produced by photovoltaic cells placed above it. To add colour, very small amounts of Lumogen F dye (BASF) were incorporated into a silicone encapsulant (Dow Corning, Sylgard 184), which was then used hold photovoltaic cells in place between sheets of painted glass. Lumogen dyes selectively absorb and emit light, giving a good balance between colour addition and electricity production from underlying photovoltaic cells. When making sufficient quantities of dyed encapsulant for a 600 x 450 mm test piece, the brightness of the dye colours faded, and fluorescence decreased, although some colour was retained. Improvement of the method, including testing of alternative encapsulant materials, is required, to ensure that the dyes continue to fluoresce within the encapsulant. In contrast, the methods of adding opacity variation to glass, through use of glass painting, are straightforward to develop for use in a wide variety of photovoltaic installations. Improvement of these methods opens up a wide variety of architectural glass design opportunities with integrated photovoltaics, providing an example of one new medium to make eco-architecture more aesthetically pleasing, whilst generating electricity

More order with less law: on contract enforcement, trust, and crowding

Most contracts, whether between voters and politicians or between house owners and contractors, are incomplete. “More law,” it typically is assumed, increases the likelihood of contract performance by increasing the probability of enforcement and/or the cost of breach. We examine a contractual relationship in which the first mover has to decide whether she wants to enter a contract without knowing whether the second mover will perform. We analyze how contract enforceability affects individual performance for exogenous preferences. Then we apply a dynamic model of preference adaptation and find that economic incentives have a nonmonotonic effect on behavior. Individuals perform a contract when enforcement is strong or weak but not with medium enforcement probabilities: Trustworthiness is “crowded in” with weak and “crowded out” with medium enforcement. In a laboratory experiment we test our model’s implications and find support for the crowding prediction. Our finding is in line with the recent work on the role of contract enforcement and trust in formerly Communist countries