Modeling, and FEA of Multi-Plate Clutches by Varying Materials for Optimum Torque Transfer Capacity of TCT System of Green, And Light Vehicles

This paper addresses Modeling and analysis of easily applicable multi-plate clutches to use in twin clutch transmission (TCT) system for green and Light Weight Vehicle. The static and dynamic analysis were developed for a clutch plate by using finite element analysis (FEA). The 3D solid model was done using SOLID WORK 2016 and imported to ANSYS work bench 16 for model analysis. The mathematical modelling was also done using different vastly available materials (i.e. Aluminum alloy 6061, E-Glass Epoxy, and Gray Cast iron); then, by observing the results, comparison was carryout for materials to validate better lining material for multi plate clutches using ANSYS workbench 16 and finally concluded that composite material E-Glass Epoxy has a better friction material for design of multi-plate clutches in TCT system

Communication skills of physicians during patient interaction in an in-patient setting at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Teaching Hospital (TASH), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2009

Background: Physician-patient relationship is foremost among the numerous qualities needed for sound patient care. In the Ethiopian clinical setting, a vast majority of patients complain that physicians do not interact with them properly. Objective: Assess behavior of physicians (verbal and nonverbal) when interacting with patients. Methods: Randomly selected physicians were observed in doctor-patient interactions in an inpatient setting using a standardized check list at Tikur Anbessa Hospital in November, 2009.Mean comparison of total scores of each category as well as mean interaction and biomedical exam times were made using Pearson’s Chi square, and Student’s T test. Results: 211 interactions were observed. 22.7% were consultants, 49.7% were residents and 26.5% were interns. Mean total score of observed behavior ranged from poor to satisfactory across category and showed statistically significant variations. Average interaction time was 7.87 minutes while average biomedical exam time was 5.05 minutes. The means showed a significant variation (p=0.001 at 95% CI). Conclusion: The study has shown that there is a reasonable ground to suggest that physician-patient interaction has deficiencies. Due attention should be given to improve communication skills of physicians

Modelling SDG scenarios for Educational Attainment and Development. CESDEG: Education for all Global Monitoring Report (EFA-GMR)

The scenarios of educational expansion underlying the population projections presented here result from a further refinement of the education model presented in Lutz et al. (2014). In summary, we project the share of the population ever reaching or exceeding a given attainment level. This is done seperately by country, and gender, but with ‘shrinkage’ within a Bayesian framework (with weakly informative priors). The mean expansion trajectories are modelled as random walks with drift (and potential mean reversion) and independent noise at a probit-transformed scale. The trend parameters are estimated based on reconstructed attainment histories, and extrapolated, subject to additional and some exogenously imposed convergence within regions and between females and males. Under the target scenarios, SDG targets are treated as ‘future data’ (in other words, target trajectories are modeled looking back from 2030 under the assumption that the target will have been met), with a potential trend break in 2015. Limitations shared with all existing global projections of educational development include the fact that in the absence of a detailed theoretical basis, they are forced to rely heavily on statistical extrapolations. For example, there is little consensus on whether “higher education is the new secondary education” (as claimed by Andreas Schleicher of OECD), or is fundamentally different from lower levels of schooling (e.g. in terms of institutional framework, its role in the life cycle, economic returns. In addition, global projections can necessarily not account in a satisfactory manner for idiosyncratic policy changes or shocks. In addition, the specific modelling choices outlined above imply a number of trade-offs. Using highest school attainment as the underlying measure solves many problems associated with historic enrolment data by allowing the consistent reconstruction of time series of attainment from relatively recent cross-sectional data, but comes with challenges of its own. While nevertheless preferable overall, the principal disadvantage of attainment measures deserves mention, namely the relatively long time lag with which outcomes can be observed. Late attainment is common in many developing countries, so that attainment cannot safely be assumed to be ‘final’ until several years above the typical graduation age

Comparative performance of rural water supplies during drought

As rural African communities experience more frequent and extreme droughts, it is increasingly important that water supplies are climate resilient. Using a unique temporal dataset we explore rural water supply (n = 5196) performance during the 2015–16 drought in Ethiopia. Mean functionality ranged from 60% for motorised boreholes to 75% for hand-pumped boreholes. Real-time monitoring and responsive operation and maintenance led to rapid increases in functionality of hand-pumped and, to a lesser extent, motorised boreholes. Increased demand was placed on motorised boreholes in lowland areas as springs, hand-dug-wells and open sources failed. Most users travelled >1 h to access motorised boreholes but 30 m) groundwater performed best during the drought. Prioritising access to groundwater via multiple improved sources and a portfolio of technologies, such as hand-pumped and motorised boreholes, supported by responsive and proactive operation and maintenance, increases rural water supply resilience

Prevalence and associated factors of neonatal mortality in North Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia

Background: Childhood mortality is often used as a broad indicator of the social development and health conditions of a country. Updated information on neonatal mortality does thus influence policy, improve services and lead to better health for newborns.Objective: To assess the prevalence of neonatal mortality and associated factors in North Gondar Zone, Ethiopia.Methods: Community based cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2009 to January 2010 in North Gondar Zone. Multi-stage sampling was adopted to get respondents and data was collected using structured questionnaires from 3600 mothers who gave live birth during the year 2005 to 2009.Results: Neonatal mortality was found to be 214 out of 4888 live births with the rate of 43.8 per 1000 live births. The number of pregnancies the women, had (AOR =3.76: 95% CI, 2.73- 5.20), maternal morbidity (AOR =5.43: 95% CI, 2.90-10.17) and neonatal illness (AOR = 3.68: 95% CI, 2.41-5.62) were strongly associated with neonatal mortality. Small size neonates at birth were 2 times more likely to die compared with medium sized ones. Compared with illiterate mothers, secondary and above secondary educated mothers reduced the risk of neonatal deaths by 85% (0.04, 0.51) and 90% (0.01, 0.94), respectively.Conclusion: Neonatal mortality was very high when compared with the national data of Ethiopia. Strategies to improve female education, reducing maternal morbidity, limiting the number of pregnancies, early intervention for neonatal illness, prevention and intervention in low birth weight neonates are recommended to reduce neonatal mortality

Systemic Sclerosis – case report

A case of Systemic Sclerosis is hereby reported, with brief review of  literature emphasizing the clinical characteristics and management.  Systemic Sclerosis is a connective tissue disorder affecting the skin, blood vessel, and visceral organs. Data relating to the occurrence of scleroderma is sparse or underreported in Liberia. This is a case report of a patient suffering from scleroderma seen at the Jackson F. Doe Regional Referral Hospital, Tappita, Nimba County, Liberia in May, 2018. The goal was to  document the clinical occurrence of scleroderma in Liberia. Literature was reviewed using key words including scleroderma, sclerosis, Liberia, West Africa. Data bases searched were AJOL and Pubmed. Clinical manifestations of systemic scleroderma arise from the diffuse deposition of collagen in the skin and visceral organs coupled with vascular injury and immunologic abnormalities. The skin becomes taut resulting in claw like appearance of fingers and a mask like appearance of the face. There are associated orofacial changes resulting in decrease in facial profile, rigidity of tongue and microstomia.Keywords: Systemic Sclerosis, clinical features, case report

Does One Size Fit All? Drug Resistance and Standard Treatments: Results of Six Tuberculosis Programmes in Former Soviet Countries.

SETTING: After the collapse of the Soviet Union, countries in the region faced a dramatic increase in tuberculosis cases and the emergence of drug resistance. OBJECTIVE: To discuss the relevance of the DOTS strategy in settings with a high prevalence of drug resistance. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of one-year treatment outcomes of short-course chemotherapy (SCC) and results of drug susceptibility testing (DST) surveys of six programmes located in the former Soviet Union: Kemerovo prison, Russia; Abkhasia, Georgia; Nagorno-Karabagh, Azerbaijan; Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan; Dashoguz Velayat, Turkmenistan; and South Kazakhstan Oblast, Kazakhstan. Results are reported for new and previously treated smear-positive patients. RESULTS: Treatment outcomes of 3090 patients and DST results of 1383 patients were collected. Treatment success rates ranged between 87% and 61%, in Nagorno-Karabagh and Kemerovo, respectively, and failure rates between 7% and 23%. Any drug resistance ranged between 66% and 31% in the same programmes. MDR rates ranged between 28% in Karakalpakstan and Kemerovo prison and 4% in Nagorno-Karabagh. CONCLUSION: These results show the limits of SCC in settings with a high prevalence of drug resistance. They demonstrate that adapting treatment according to resistance patterns, access to reliable culture, DST and good quality second-line drugs are necessary

Water resources management in the Central Rift Valley: modelling for the water poor

Achieving a sustainable development is crucial, but is even more important in developing countries, where a wide number of people does not have a safe and secure access to water and relay on the environment to sustain their lives. The Ethiopian Central Rift Valley basin is already a degraded basin from the environmental point of view: ecosystems are endangered due to human activities there developed. Moreover, poverty is widespread all over the basin, with population is mainly living from agriculture on a subsistence economy. In order to achieve sustainable development to increase population incomes without affecting lives of those who are highly dependent on the environment and Integrated Water Resources Management approach shall be applied. First step has been to model the basin water resources, using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), which, after calibration and validation of the model, has given correct results. In order to follow deepening in the IWRM approach, more information on actual and future water demand and specifically water applied to agriculture will be needed.Postprint (published version

Microwave properties of (PrxY1−x)Ba2Cu3O7−δ(Pr_xY_{1-x})Ba_2Cu_3O_{7-\delta} : Influence of magnetic scattering

We report measurements of the surface impedance $Z_s=R_s+iX_s$ of $(Pr_xY_{1-x})Ba_2Cu_3O_{7-\delta}$, $(x=0,0.15,0.23,0.3,0.4,0.5)$. Increasing $Pr$ concentration leads to some striking results not observed in samples doped by non-magnetic constituents. The three principal features of the $R_s(T)$ data - multiple structure in the transition, a high residual resistance and, at high $Pr$ concentrations, an upturn of the low $T$ data, are all characteristic of the influence of magnetic scattering on superconductivity, and appear to be common to materials where magnetism and superconductivity coexist. The low $T$ behavior of $\lambda (T)$ appears to change from $T$ to $T^4$ at large $Pr$ doping, and provides evidence of the influence of magnetic pairbreaking of the $Pr$.Comment: 5 pages, 3 eps figures, Revtex, 2-column format, uses graphicx. To appear in Physica C. Postscript version also available at http://sagar.physics.neu.edu/preprints.htm