247 research outputs found
Disaster mental health in India: a long journey ahead
No full textThis is a book chapter published in Leadership in Indian psychiatry: converting thoughts into practice 1947-2025. Essays in honour of Professor B.S. Chavan edited by R. Srinivasa Murthy & Nitin Gupta.India is vulnerable to catastrophic natural events due to its geo-climatic conditions and man-made disasters. There is a need to study the mental health consequences of the disasters and their intervention efforts. A comprehensive literature search was done regarding the mental health of the disaster survivors in India based on the epidemiological and interventional studies from electronic databases and manual searches. Large proportions of disaster survivors in India suffer from diagnosable psychiatric disorders, mostly depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorders. While there are many studies following natural catastrophic events; there are an inadequate number of studies on industrial disasters, mass conflicts, and riots. Prevalence figures of psychiatric disorders have varied depending upon the disaster, exposure and methodology. Many post-disaster interventions have been tried; however the literature about the interventions is not robust. There is a need for studies related to the support for the mental health consequences of disasters in the community and their effectiveness. Culturally appropriate coping activities have been observed amongst the survivors, which need to be explored further as possible intervention methods. Mental health related assessments and interventions need to be prioritised in disaster related support activities and policies. Public education about dealing with disasters, their impact on mental health, self-care and opportunity for professional care are essential. There is a need for an appropriate system to be in place for immediate, short and long term mental health support for the disaster survivors
Transport phenomenon in jet impingement baking:
No full textIn food industry, hot air jet impingement ovens are used to bake pizza shells, crackers, cookies, and to toast ready-to-eat cereals. Despite its significant applications and advantages (faster processing and better quality products) in food processing industry, there is a very limited understanding of detailed transport processes (heat and mass transport) involved in jet impingement baking.
To develop quantitative understanding of transport processes during jet impingement baking, we have modeled the flow field and its associated thermal transport phenomenon for a cookie shaped and a hot dog geometry using numerical simulation and have validated it using experimental data. To predict temperature and moisture distribution during baking, we have developed four different baking models based on coupled heat and mass transfer. These models differ based on coupling of heat and mass transport terms, vapor transport, thermodiffusion and stages of a baking process.
Results of flow field and its associated thermal transport studies demonstrated that numerical simulation approach can be used to predict both flow field and thermal transport during jet impingement baking. The results highlight that local and average surface heat transfer coefficient values are a function of nozzle to plate spacing, jet inlet velocity and geometry of target product. Comparison of temperature and moisture profiles among the models show significant differences in temperature and moisture profile. Based on comparison of these models, we established that vapor transport process is important for modeling of a baking process, while thermo-diffusion process does not make a significant contribution to moisture transport. The results also demonstrate that introduction of stages in baking based on empirical approaches can introduce artificial steps in temperature-time profile. Comparison of numerically predicted center point temperature with experimental measurements in a potato disk shows that modified model II (with vapor transport and a single stage baking process) provides the best match with the experimentally measured data. In summary, we have modeled the complete transport process during jet impingement baking, which can predict the baking time, crust thickness, temperature and moisture distributions within the food for a given jet velocity and air temperature.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical references (p. 241-246)by Mark E. Nag
Prediction of Attention/deficient and Hyperactivity disorder in Online learning
No full textThe rise of online learning poses challenges in identifying and supporting students with cognitive disorders, notably ADHD. This neurodevelopmental disorder, diagnosed in childhood, impacts academic performance. With the prevalence of online education, early detection and intervention for ADHD are crucial. Predictive techniques using digital traces, behavioral patterns, and physiological data during online sessions are studied. Machine and deep learning models, including supervised and unsupervised approaches, identify ADHD-related behaviors. Natural language processing analyzes textual interactions for signs of inattention or hyperactivity. Eye-tracking and physiological sensors reveal attention levels during online activities. Though offline classrooms allow direct interaction, these techniques enable timely interventions, enhancing ADHD students' experiences in the digital learning era. Further research to refine and address challenges will contribute to a more inclusive and effective online learning environment
Overcoming barriers to community participation in drug dependence treatment: An ethnography approach
No full textIntroduction: Substance use and dependence has been a part of Indian society for centuries. However, abuse of more hazardous drugs including intravenous use, younger age of initiation, and high prevalence has made it a major public health issue. Community-based interventions for drug/alcohol use are often hindered by a lack of community participation, which is the result of stigma associated with drug/alcohol use and its treatment. We describe our attempt to address this issue of lack of community participation in a particular community of Dhanas, Chandigarh, using an ethnography approach. Methodology: Despite drug/alcohol use being rampant in their community, the leaders of the community (Sarpanch and Medical Officer of Primary Health Centre) not only denied the problem, but also refused to support community outreach team. In the absence of facilitation by community leaders and prevalent stigma, drug/alcohol users from the Dhanas village did not seek treatment even when the treatment was offered close to their homes. Using an ethnography approach, a 6 point questionnaire was developed to investigate the severity of the problem as well as to engage the community leaders in the delivery of community-based treatment. Results: The questionnaire highlighted that key leaders chose to deny existing drug/alcohol problem whereas those who were aware of the problem did not have a say in the decision-making process. The questionnaire facilitated a thorough understanding of the sociocultural and political ethos of the community which in turn helped in chalking out an action plan in this village. Conclusion: With the help of various individuals such as former and current healthcare workers, community leaders, drug users, and their family members, the community outreach team successfully mobilized the community from denial to activism. This was evident in the number of individuals seeking treatment for drug/alcohol use that showed an increasing trend over the months
Modified safe technique for circumcision
No full textWe have used surgical gauze under the prepuceal skin as a pack in 20 cases prior to marking incision for circumcision. The prepuceal adhesions were first dissected and seperated. The method allows a stable, well-supported prepuceal surface for marking incisions and avoids injuries to the glans. Because the prepuceal surface is taut and stable, hemostasis is easier and quicker and the operating time is reduced
LiDAR-Based Occupancy Grid Map Estimation Exploiting Spatial Sparsity
No full textThe problem of estimating occupancy grids to support automotive driving applications using LiDAR sensor point clouds is considered. We formulate the problem as a sparse binary occupancy value reconstruction problem. Our proposed occupancy grid estimation method is based on pattern-coupled sparse Bayesian learning and exploits the inherent sparsity and spatial occupancy dependencies in LiDAR sensor measurements. The proposed method demonstrates enhanced detection capabilities compared to commonly used benchmark methods, as observed through testing on scenes from the nuScenes dataset.Signal Processing SystemsTeam Nitin Myer
An exploratory study assessing reasons behind initiation, continuation or stoppage of alcohol after first use
No full textObjective: Few studies have investigated the reasons for alcohol initiation and continuation. The present study examined reasons for trying alcohol for the first time and its subsequent use. Furthermore, the study attempted to discover the possible predictors that make an individual vulnerable to alcohol use. Methodology: A total of 280 first-year college students from six different colleges were contacted. Using the method of equal probability, every third subject from each class was selected. All the selected subjects were interviewed and administered semi-structured questionnaire for gathering information regarding their experience with alcohol. Results: In our study, experimentation and peer pressure were found to be the main reasons for both alcohol use and its re-use. The first time drinkers differed a lot from those with multiple users in terms of reasons for trying alcohol, the effect of alcohol, family history of alcohol use, and self-view about alcohol use. The results depicted that the gender, educational stream, and family history of alcohol use are the factors that make an individual vulnerable to alcohol use. Conclusion: First-year of college is a unique transitional period. First-year students with high levels of sensation seeking may be especially at high-risk to begin or escalate heavy drinking. Studying the nature of alcohol initiation may not only be helpful in planning awareness programs but also in preventing underage drinking and alcohol abuse
Modified safe technique for circumcision
No full textWe have used surgical gauze under the prepuceal skin as a pack in 20
cases prior to marking incision for circumcision. The prepuceal
adhesions were first dissected and seperated. The method allows a
stable, well-supported prepuceal surface for marking incisions and
avoids injuries to the glans. Because the prepuceal surface is taut and
stable, hemostasis is easier and quicker and the operating time is
reduced
Near-field focusing using phased arrays with dynamic polarization control
No full textPhased arrays in near-field communication allow the transmitter to focus wireless signals in a small region around the receiver. Proper focusing is achieved by carefully tuning the phase shifts and the polarization of the signals transmitted from the phased array. In this paper, we study the impact of polarization on near-field focusing and investigate the use of dynamic polar-ization control (DPC) phased arrays in this context. Our studies indicate that the optimal polarization configuration for near-field focusing varies spatially across the antenna array. Such a spatial variation motivates the need for DPC phased arrays which allow independent polarization control across different antennas. We show using simulations that DPC phased arrays in the near-field achieve a higher received signal-to-noise ratio than conventional switched- or dual-polarization phased arrays.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Team Nitin MyersMicrowave Sensing, Signals & SystemsSignal Processing System
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