1,912 research outputs found
HCFI Dr KK Aggarwal Research Fund
No full textMinutes of an International Weekly Meeting Held by HCFI Dr KK Aggarwal Research Fund on “Anxiety Disorder”Speaker: Dr Rahul Khemani, Consultant Psychiatrist, Heart & Mind Clinic, Mumbai, Indi
Arbitration and Dispute Settlement in Foreign Indirect Investment. The increasing significance and use of arbitration in international loan agreements, syndicated loans and international bond issues
No full textThis dissertation examines the suitability of arbitration for the resolution of securities regulatory claims and it adoption globally, which has resulted in international arbitration becoming the favoured dispute resolution mechanism in the securities industry. The author explains that disputes arising out of international bilateral and syndicated loan agreements are generally considered to be arbitrable, while international bond disputes are often derived from the controversies over the application of mandatory national laws and the compliance with securities regulation provisions - so the arbitrability of international bond disputes depends on the acceptance of the arbitrability of securities regulatory claims
A monolithically integrated power JFET and Junction Barrier Schottky diode in 4H silicon carbide
No full textEfficiency of power management circuits depends significantly on their constituent switches and rectifiers. The demands of technology are increasingly running up against the intrinsic properties of Si based power devices. 4H-Silicon Carbide (SiC) has superior properties that make it attractive for high power applications. SiC rectifiers are already a competitive choice and SiC switches have also been commercialized recently. Junction Barrier Schottky (JBS) diodes, which combine the advantages of PN and Schottky, have higher Figure of Merit (FOM) as rectifiers. Among switches, a robust and mature process has been developed for Silicon Carbide Vertical Junction Field Effect Transistors (VJFETs), which currently gives it the highest unipolar FOM. Switches are frequently combined with anti-parallel diodes in power circuits. This thesis describes the development of a SiC-based monolithically integrated power switch and diode. Monolithic integration increases reliability and efficiency, and reduces cost. Because of their superior properties and similarities in fabrication, we chose the SiC VJFET and JBS diode as the switch and rectifier. Detailed design, fabrication and characterization of the integrated switch to block above 800 V and conduct current beyond 100 A/cm2 is explained. In this process, the first physics-based 2-D compact model is developed for reverse leakage in a JBS diode as a function of design parameters. Since the gate-channel junctions of SiC VJFETs cannot be assumed to be abrupt, an existing analytical model for Si VJFETs is extended to account for graded gate-channel junctions. Using these analytical models, design rules are developed for the VJFET and JBS diode. Finite element simulations are used to find the best anode layout of the JBS diode and optimize electric field termination in the integrated device to ensure their capability to operate at high voltage. Finally, a spin-on glass based process is developed for filling the gate trenches of the VJFET to improve long-term robustness in extreme environments. The integrated power switch developed in this thesis points to the attractions of monolithic integration in SiC power circuits. Analytical compact design equations derived here will facilitate faster and easier design of switches and rectifiers for desired circuit operation.Ph. D.Includes bibliographical referencesIncludes vitaby Rahul Radhakrishna
Trends in Sudden Cardiac Death Among Adults Aged 25 to 44 Years in the United States: An Analysis of 2 Large US Databases
No full textBackground Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in early adults aged 25 to 44 years represents an important and unexpected cause of death. We assessed trends in SCD-related mortality in the United States from 1999 to 2020 among early adults to determine differences by sex, ethnoracial groups, urbanization, and census region.Methods and Results Mortality data were retrieved from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) data set from 1999 to 2020. Age-adjusted mortality rates were assessed using the Joinpoint regression modeling and expressed as estimated average annual percentage change with relative 95% CIs. Trends in prevalence of coronary artery disease/myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke, which may have contributed to SCD-related mortality over the same period, were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. From 1999 to 2020, 10 516 US early adults aged 25 to 44 years had SCD (7832 men and 2684 women), resulting in 3.72 deaths per 1000 population, or a mean of 478 deaths annually. The relative age-adjusted mortality rate increased linearly (average annual percentage change: +1.0% [95% CI, 0.3-1.8]), without sex differences. The age-adjusted mortality rate increase was more pronounced in Black patients, Hispanic/Latinx patients, and residents of rural areas. Higher absolute numbers of SCDs were clustered in the South (47.6%). During the same period, the prevalence of coronary artery disease/myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke plateaued. SCD-related mortality associated with opioids/stimulants overdose significantly increased over the entire study period.Conclusions SCD-related mortality among early adults has increased over the last 2 decades in the United States with notable racial and regional disparities
Addressing authorship dilemmas in scholarly publications: a solution-oriented study [Elektronisk resurs]
No full textIn scholarly publications, determining authorship- and the order of authors’ names- has become increasingly challenging. This is partly due to the evolving landscape of multidisciplinary teams, which can involve numerous contributors. Relying solely on descriptive and consensus-based qualitative approaches can lead to uncertainty. The dilemma also extends to cases where a valid contributor may simply receive an acknowledgement for his or her contribution, rather than being listed as a joint author. Trusting authors to adhere to moral standards when deciding authorship and acknowledgments can result in conflicts that are difficult for readers to navigate. This poses accountability challenges, especially when dealing with a substantial number of authors. This study proposes a simplified and transparent quantitative approach to address these concerns. The methodology is based on two key parameters: first, the evaluation of the time invested by each contributor in the publication; and, second, the normalized assessment of the value of their time. Through a contribution analysis utilizing these parameters, a predetermined threshold is established to define authorship. Contributors falling below this threshold can be recognized in some other way, for example, in acknowledgments for their valuable input. While the approach proposed may be more applicable in some disciplines and higher education systems than others, it does offer a quantitative foundation to support qualitative discussions among potential authors, helping them reach a consensus on authorship and authorship order without conflict. This method seeks to prevent injustices and ensure that all contributors have a voice, regardless of their power and influence
Ecotoxicological effect factors for calculating USEtox ecotoxicity characterization factors
No full textAbstract Background This study aims to tackle the lack of freshwater ecotoxicological effect factors (EFs) crucial for determining freshwater ecotoxicity characterization factors (CFs) using the widely accepted scientific consensus USEtox model for ecotoxicity impact characterization. The objectives are: (1) to offer a collection of experimental EFs to support USEtox ecotoxicity characterization factor computations and (2) to contrast ecotoxicity data produced by various quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models against experimental data. Results Experimental ecotoxicity data were gathered from the REACH database and CompTox Version 2.1.1, which includes toxicity information from ToxValDB v9.4. QSAR-driven ecotoxicity data were extracted from ECOSAR v1.11 and T.E.S.T. v5.1.2. The experimental and estimated data underwent a harmonization process to ensure consistency. Subsequently, aquatic ecotoxicological EFs were determined. The merged REACH and CompTox databases list EFs for 11,295 substances, each identified by a unique CAS number. Among these, the USEtox database already catalogs 2426 substances with freshwater ecotoxicological EFs. This study expanded on that by calculating EFs for an additional 8869 substances. Using estimated data, EFs were determined for 6029 chemicals based on ECOSAR data and 6762 chemicals using TEST data. Conclusions This study calculated EFs for an additional 8869 substances, thereby broadening their inclusion in LCA evaluations. When integrated with the USEtox EFs database, this research encompasses 11,368 chemicals. The high correlation observed between experimental EFs and those in the USEtox database lends significant confidence to the calculations for chemicals not listed in USEtox. Conversely, the low correlation between estimated EFs and those in USEtox suggests limited confidence in calculations based on estimated data. Furthermore, the disparity in correlations between EFs calculated using ECOSAR and TEST indicates that different QSARs can yield varied results. This discrepancy underscores the need for caution when relying on estimated data. Given that EFs are contingent on data availability, it is imperative to periodically update EFs as new data emerges
Carbon offsets compatible with the Paris Agreement to limit global warming: Call for a direct action [Elektronisk resurs]
No full textThe societal commitment to combat climate change is reflected in the Paris Agreement with the primary focus to mitigate climate change by reducing or limiting greenhouse gas emissions. To facilitate the achievement of emission reduction targets, innovative carbon crediting and offsetting mechanisms have been developed. These mechanisms enable stakeholders to offset their emissions by using carbon offset credits if needed. These carbon offset methodologies can be classified into two main categories. The first category involves directly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the environment through green and emission-capturing solutions, such as reforestation and carbon capture and storage. The second category focuses on achieving a relative reduction in carbon emissions by using or investing in technologies with lower carbon intensity compared to business-as-usual practices, such as renewable energy. The reduction achieved in this second category is assumed to be equivalent to not emitting the calculated amount of emissions. However, both categories generally do not address the emissions' sources directly. This study introduces a third approach by proposing the creation of a carbon offset market at the emissions' source, offering a novel way to directly tackle the origins of carbon emissions. This approach aims to prevent emissions from being released in the first place, directly addressing the source of emissions. It aligns with the precautionary principle, which advocates for proactive measures to prevent harm. This approach should not be confused with the non-consumption approach, which is a top-down strategy focused on reducing demand. Instead, it is a bottom-up approach that seeks to reduce the supply of emissions. This study developed a four-step methodology for implementing a carbon offset market at the source, starting with fixing fossil fuel extraction per producer, then fixing the profit margin per unit of extraction, then calculating the carbon content per unit of fossil fuel, and finally creating a carbon offset market at the source where one can offset their carbon footprint by paying an amount equivalent to the profit from fossil fuel extraction to the producer in exchange for a reduction in an equivalent amount of fossil fuel extraction. It also offers insights into emission reductions potential through this approach, along with cost calculations per unit of reduction based on historical records, literature data, and statistical databases. The main advantage of the proposed approach is its bottom-up focus on reducing the supply of emissions, which leads to tangible and quantifiable reductions in real time. This method eliminates potential loopholes in traditional methodologies, ensuring that the reductions are both immediate and verifiable
Designing a Rig for Investigating Thermal Fatigue of Bimetallic Welds
No full textThe bimetallic welds between ferritic plain carbon steels or low alloy steels and austenitic stainless steels being used in nuclear power plants impose a challenge towards the structural integrity assessment for researchers not only due to the different metallurgical zones, having a gradient in chemistry and mechanical properties but also due to the high temperature operating conditions and the temperature variations over the length of operation.
Thermal fatigue is a phenomenon where a structural damage occurs when a material is subjected to cyclic thermal changes that may lead to initiation and growth of cracks and eventually lead to fracture after an exposure to sufficient amount of cycling. The thermal strains and associated thermal stresses are generated in the material when exposed to a temperature gradient, over a number of repeating cycles. This process is referred to as thermal fatigue. The magnitude of the thermal stresses generated in the case of thermal shock, is greater due to steeper temperature gradients in comparison to that observed for gradual change in temperature.
To investigate the effect of the resulting stresses on mechanical behaviour of the reactor components, it is necessary to perform fatigue test under thermal test loading. The present work addressed the problem of evaluation of mechanical behaviour of bimetallic welds under thermal fatigue conditions by developing a test rig for simulating thermal fatigue conditions at laboratory scale and using the experimental test rig to study the mechanical behaviour of bimetallic welds exposed to thermal fatigue conditions. The effect of testing parameters such as the number of cycles, notch radius in specimen (defining degree of constraint) and heating time (corresponds to temperature gradient during heating) was observed in bimetallic weld zone, heat affected zone on the ferritic side of the plain carbon steel and the base materials namely stainless steel 304 L and plain carbon steel SA516 grade 70
INFORMATION THEORETIC AND ALGEBRAIC TECHNIQUES IN THEORETICAL COMPUTER SCIENCE
No full textPh.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH
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