A Gossip Algorithm based Clock Synchronization Scheme for Smart Grid Applications

The uprising interest in multi-agent based networked system, and the numerous number of applications in the distributed control of the smart grid leads us to address the problem of time synchronization in the smart grid. Utility companies look for new packet based time synchronization solutions with Global Positioning System (GPS) level accuracies beyond traditional packet methods such as Network Time Proto- col (NTP). However GPS based solutions have poor reception in indoor environments and dense urban canyons as well as GPS antenna installation might be costly. Some smart grid nodes such as Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs), fault detection, Wide Area Measurement Systems (WAMS) etc., requires synchronous accuracy as low as 1 ms. On the other hand, 1 sec accuracy is acceptable in management information domain. Acknowledging this, in this study, we introduce gossip algorithm based clock synchronization method among network entities from the decision control and communication point of view. Our method synchronizes clock within dense network with a bandwidth limited environment. Our technique has been tested in different kinds of network topologies- complete, star and random geometric network and demonstrated satisfactory performance

Choice-Based Credit System in India: Pros and Cons

Education system of India is full of intricacies of different nature. Every ladder of education has its own problems and prospects. However, attempts have been taken to lessen complexities. From ages, time to time commissions have been constituted to improve and remove the anomalies of Indian education system especially, ensuring quality and uniformity in India education system. Idea of Quality assurance cell has not only been mooted out but also implemented across the national level. Ensuring uniformity in Education System, especially at Under-Graduate level, Choice-Based Credit System has been confirmed mandatory. But the nature of Indian education system is much diverse and encompasses inherent problems of diversity in implementing the uniform system of evaluation. Present education system of India has got spread across the country in the form of Primary Education, Secondary Education and Tertiary Education. The last one of education sector has much importance in the process of developing nation. Major inventions and innovations have direct bearing on the quality of higher education. So, quality is the major concern of the present higher education which could be judged and assessed only by the universally acclaimed system of evaluation and this could be possible through the CBCS. Thus, the present article aims to highlight the merit and demerit of Choice-Based Credit System. Keywords: Choice-Based Credit System, MHRD, UG

Chronic Hepatitis E Infection: Risks and Controls

Very recently, an unusual clinical presentation with an altered natural history associated with hepatitis E virus (HEV)infection has emerged in high-income industrialized nations.Although HEV infection does not develop into chronicity in general, viremia can persist for long periods of time in immunocompromised solid organ, bone marrow and stem cell transplant patients. Conceivably, the atypical clinical and virological outcomes in these cases could be related to immunosuppressive chemotherapy, resulting in suboptimal HEV-specific immune responses. In the absence of travel to endemic regions, foodborne autochthonous HEV infection due to viral genotypes 3 and 4 has been implicated in the chronic cases. Presently, pegIFN-α-2a and ribavirin, the commonly used drugs to treat chronic viral hepatitis, are proving very promising in hepatitis E patients. Nevertheless,the most-awaited HEV vaccine could be protective in naive travelers or high-risk group populations. The mechanisms of establishing chronic HEV infection and the disease severity have hitherto not been clearly understood. Therefore, a comprehensive clinical, virological and molecular study is needed to understand and control the disease

Design of an adaptive force and stiffness controlled compliant device for robotic polishing

Polishing is a repetitive task done in an unhealthy environment. Often more than half of the manufacturing time is required to polish a die. The manual polishing process is a tedious work actively rely on a skilled human worker. Industrial Robot has replaced the human in performing these tasks. For robotic polishing to control the polishing force, an active compliant device is used. Due to the compressibility of air, a pneumatic system is preferred as the actuator of the device. The force of the actuator is controlled by regulating air pressure in both chambers of the cylinder. However, to improve productivity, a constant polishing force alone is not sufficient, the stiffness is also considered. The current work involved a new adaptive approach to model and control of the force and stiffness of an active compliant device. The device can adaptively control the compliance and force in real time compensating the gravitational effect due to the mass, gravity, and orientation of the tool. The designed single axis controller consists of a dual acting pneumatic cylinder attached to the end effector of an industrial robot. The effectiveness of the force and stiffness controlled polishing system was proved through experiments --Abstract, page iii

Družbena stigma in Covid-19: Izkušnje bangladeških povratnikov iz Italije

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has escalated social discrimination against migrants around the world. However, research on the forms of social stigma faced by the returned migrants in their home countries is absent. Based on in-depth interviews with Bangladeshi migrants who returned from Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic, this article explores their experiences of discrimination and social harassment in Bangladesh. Drawing on Link’s and Phelan’s (2001) conceptual framework of social stigma, this study finds that returned migrants experienced different forms of social harassment and stigmatization, including labeling, stereotyping, social separation, status loss, and discrimination.Izbruh pandemije Covida-19 je povečal socialno diskriminacijo migrantov po vsem svetu. Premalo pa so raziskane oblike družbene stigme, s katero se soočajo migranti povratniki v svojih domačih deželah. Članek na podlagi poglobljenih intervjujev z bangladeškimi migranti, ki so se med pandemijo vračali iz Italije, analizira njihove izkušnje z diskriminacijo in družbenim nadlegovanjem v Bangladešu. Študija, ki izhaja iz Linkovega in Phelanovega (2001) konceptualnega okvira socialne stigme, ugotavlja, da se migranti povratniki soočajo z različnimi oblikami družbenega nadlegovanja in stigmatizacije, vključno z etiketiranjem, s stereotipizacijo, z družbenim ločevanjem, izgubo statusa in diskriminacijo

Characterization of high cycle fatigue and laser-aided machining and polishing of additively manufactured materials

“Additive manufacturing (AM) and laser-aided machining and polishing (LAMP) of materials are emerging manufacturing processes both for research and industrial sectors. The AM process can manufacture near-net-shape parts with complex geometries. Meanwhile, the LAMP process integrated with an AM system offers a high processing rate, minimum heat-affected zone, and easily adjustable process parameters during machining and polishing. In mechanical properties characterization of AM metals and alloys, fatigue is a vitally important test method to understand the behavior of materials in cycling loading and unloading circumstances since most mechanical failures of structures are due to fatigue. To characterize AM metal fatigue behavior, it is also crucial to understand and analyze how the fabrication process parameters, build orientations, and defect formations affect the ability of materials to resist fatigue failure. This research aims to study the needed fundamental knowledge for a high-speed fatigue testing method with miniature specimens and investigate the effect of build process parameters on the high cycle fatigue performance of AM materials. In this study, the implementation of miniature specimens with increased surface area and uniform stress distribution within gauges captures a large population of surface and subsurface defects, reduces the stress gradient effect, maintains symmetric loading, minimizes material and test equipment costs, and decreases sample preparation and test time. The acquired knowledge from this study helps understand the influence of defects on the fatigue behavior of AM materials and determine the high fatigue strength yielding process parameters. Since the fatigue strength of materials can be improved by machining and polishing part surfaces, the objectives of this research also include developing a multilaser LAMP process and investigating the effect of different process parameters on part surface quality improvements. The research results lead to new knowledge that could benefit a wide range of manufacturing industries”--Abstract, page iv

AC Electrokinetic Effect of V-Electrode Pattern on Microfluids

Electrokinetics has been used for guiding, pumping, and manipulating microfluidic particles for many years in the field of Biomedical, Microbiology, Chemistry, Medicine, and other fields of research, which makes it a ubiquitous tool for the multidisciplinary research on microfluidics. Between these two Alternating Current (AC) Electrokinetics have been proven to be more feasible for the researcher than the other one. In this research, we have investigated AC Electrokinetics and s effect on a new electrode configuration called V-electrode pattern. The V-electrode has been inspired and modified from the previous research work on the Orthogonal Electrode Pattern. In this research, this new electrode configuration has been analyzed using different types of setups, fabrication methods, and different fluidic conditions

A Comparative Study of Marking Behaviour of Teachers, Teaching in Government and Private Schools

The present research aimed to study the marking behaviour of teachers teaching in government and private schools with respect to certain personal variables. Sample consisted of 104 teachers from Government Schools and 100 teachers from Private Schools at secondary level. Mean, SD and ‘t’ test were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed no significant difference between the  marking behaviour of teachers, teaching in Government and Private Schools, between the marking behaviour of TGT teachers, teaching in Government and Private Secondary Schools, between the marking behaviour of Permanent Teachers, teaching in Government and Private Secondary Schools, whereas, a significant difference was found between the marking behaviour of PGT teachers, teaching in Government and Private Secondary Schools and between the marking behaviour of Temporary Teachers, Teaching in Government and Private Secondary Schools. Key words: Examination, Mark, Educational Culture, Reliability, Validity and Marking Behaviour etc

Attitudes of Prospective Teachers towards Teaching Profession

The progress of a country depends upon the quality of its teachers. They are called nation builders.A good principal, magnificent building, sound infrastructure and good curriculum are useless, if the teachers in any institution are not with positive attitude towards teaching. Teaching is a very respectable profession but even then not all the teachers who are in this pious profession like it.Many prospective teachers join this profession not by choice but by chance or due to other reasons. They are disinterested towards teaching profession. They just take admission in B.Ed course as second choice,if they fail to seek admission in first choice like M.B.A., or any other courses according to their liking and they are generally dissatisfied throughout the training period.This study was conducted to study the attitudes of prospective-teachers towards teaching profession. A sample of 180 prospective teachers, 90 from private and 90 from publicinstitutions was taken through purposive convenient sampling method. “Teacher Attitude Inventory (TAI)” by Dr. S.P. Ahluwalia was used to collect the data. Mean, SD and t-test were used for the analysis of the data. Research findings revealed that there is a significant difference in the attitudes of prospective teachers studying in private and public B.Ed institutions. There is no significant difference in the attitudes of female and male, Muslim and Non-Muslim, science and social sciences prospective teachers towards teaching profession. Keywords:Attitude, Prospective Teachers, Teaching Profession, Privateand Public Institutions

Academic Achievement of Adolescents in Relation to Academic Anxiety, Gender, and Choice of Academic Stream

The present research work was carried out to study the relationship and effect of academic anxiety on the academic achievement of adolescents. A sample of 361 adolescents was taken through purposive sampling technique. A reliable and valid academic anxiety scale standardized by Singh & Gupta (2009) was used for  data collection. Mean SD, Correlation and t-test were used for the analysis of the data. Research findings revealed an inverse relationship (negative correlation) between the academic achievement and the academic anxiety of adolescents. Significant differences were found between the academic achievement of high and low academic anxiety groups of adolescents, between high and low academic anxiety groups of males, between high and low academic anxiety groups of females, between high academic anxiety groups of male and female adolescents, between low academic anxiety groups of male and female adolescents, between the academic achievement of high and low academic anxiety groups of social science adolescents. Whereas, no significant difference was found in the academic achievement of high and low academic anxiety groups of science adolescents, between the academic achievement of  high academic anxiety groups of science and social science adolescents and between the academic achievement of low academic anxiety groups of science and social science adolescents. Keywords: Anxiety, academic anxiety, academic achievement, and choice of academic stream