Joule Thief and its Applications

In this rapidly evolving world where the technology is flourishing at an exponentially steady rate the need and the requirement for various distinct and efficient sources of energy has become a significantly crucial requirement to fuel the technology of the world to come. We as consumers use an extensive array of devices and appliances in our day to day lives which are powered by discrete kinds of batteries and power sources which till date haven’t been able to be utilised to their superlative potential. The battery resurrection circuit can be implemented on a variety of appliances and devices to utilise the complete capacity of the cells and batteries they use to provide a more economical and efficient use of a battery. Keywords: Joule Thief, circuit, efficiency, battery, appliances, LED

Assessment of Erosion Characteristics in Purple and Yellow Soils Using Simulated Rainfall Experiments

Soil erosion of sloped lands is one of the important sources of substantive sediments in watersheds. In order to investigate erosion characteristics of sloped lands during rainfall events in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, erosion processes of purple and yellow soils under different slope gradients and rainfall intensities were studied by using a rainfall simulator. The results showed that the sediment concentration in runoff was closely correlated with rainfall intensity. The sediment concentration in runoff gradually rose to a peak with time, and then gradually declined and approach a steady rate during simulation rainfall events. The particle size distribution of surface soils before the rainfall was different from that after the rainfall. Soil erosion mainly resulted in the loss of fine particles of surface soil through runoff, and the fine particles of soil were enriched in sediments. Soil erosion rates were gradually increased with the slope gradient when the slope gradient was less than 10°, and significantly increased when the slope gradient was more than 10°. The slope factor of yellow soil could be fitted well to that calculated by the formula of Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). The trend of the slope factor of purple soil was similar to that of the slope factor that was derived from USLE. Therefore, the effect of slope gradients on soil erosion need to be further researched when USLE was applied to predict erosion in purple soil area.

Bank Branches and COVID-19: Where are Banks Closing Branches during the Pandemic?

In the decade prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, bank branches were closing at a steady rate. Additionally, households with a bank account increasingly adopted mobile or online banking for at least a portion of their banking needs. As COVID-19 dramatically changes the desire and willingness for consumers to have in-person interactions, it may accelerate both of these trends and lead to a permanent shift in how people access financial services.

Thermochemical anomalies in the upper mantle control Gakkel Ridge accretion

Despite progress in understanding seafloor accretion at ultraslow spreading ridges, the ultimate driving force is still unknown. Here we use 40Ar/39Ar isotopic dating of mid-ocean ridge basalts recovered at variable distances from the axis of the Gakkel Ridge to provide new constraints on the spatial and temporal distribution of volcanic eruptions at various sections of an ultraslow spreading ridge. Our age data show that magmatic-dominated sections of the Gakkel Ridge spread at a steady rate of ~11.1 ± 0.9 mm/yr whereas amagmatic sections have a more widely distributed melt supply yielding ambiguous spreading rate information. These variations in spreading rate and crustal accretion correlate with locations of hotter thermochemical anomalies in the asthenosphere beneath the ridge. We conclude therefore that seafloor generation in ultra-slow spreading centres broadly reflects the distribution of thermochemical anomalies in the upper mantle.

Forest Moratorium Policy, Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Papua Province

On May 20, 2011, the government of the Republic of Indonesia enacted Presidential Instruction (Inpres) number 10 of 2011 as the start of the forest moratorium policy. This policy aimed to reduce the rate of deforestation and forest degradation through a moratorium on the issuance of new permits. However, the effectiveness of this policy in achieving these goals is still being debated. This study shows that the forest moratorium policy has successfully reduced the extent of the concession area, as well as the average deforestation and forest degradation rate in Papua Province. However, the concession extent was not directly proportional to the rate of deforestation and forest degradation in the concession area, and the decline of the average rate of deforestation and forest degradation was not accompanied by a steady rate during the enactment of the policy. This study also reveals that policy implementation at the provincial level was hampered by the communication factor, the resources factor, and the disposition factor. We recommend that, besides limiting the concession area, the government should improve the licensing governance by strengthening the monitoring and evaluation, as well as the mechanism of business-work-plan approval. Also, the central government should improve coordination with the local government to overcome factors hampering the implementation of the moratorium policy.

Objective method reveals minimum time required to quantify net cost of transport across slow to fast walking speeds

The U-shaped net cost of transport (COT) curve of walking has helped scientists understand the biomechanical basis that underlies energy minimization during walking. However, to produce an individual's net COT curve, data must be analyzed during periods of steady-rate metabolism. Traditionally, studies analyze the last few minutes of a 6-10 min trial, assuming that steady-rate metabolism has been achieved. Yet, it is possible that an individual achieves steady rates of metabolism much earlier. However, there is no consensus on how to objectively quantify steady-rate metabolism across a range of walking speeds. Therefore, we developed an objective method to determine the minimum time needed for humans to achieve steady rates of metabolism across slow to fast walking speeds. We hypothesized that a shorter time window could be used to produce a net COT curve that is comparable to the net COT curve created using traditional methods. We analyzed metabolic data from twenty-one subjects who completed several 7-min walking trials ranging from 0.50-2.00 m/s. We partitioned the metabolic data for each trial into moving 1-min, 2-min, and 3 min intervals and calculated their slopes. We statistically compared these slope values to values derived from the last 3-min of the 7-min trial, our 'gold' standard comparison. We found that a minimum of 2 min is required to achieve steady-rate metabolism and that data from 2-4 min yields a net COT curve that is not statistically different from the one derived from experimental protocols that are generally accepted in the field.

Rheological Analysis of Low Viscosity Hydrogels for 3D Bio-Printing Processes

Following the success of 3D printing with synthetic polymers like ABS, FLA, Nylon, etc., scientists and researchers have been putting efforts into fabricating bio-compatible materials. It has not only broadened the field of bioengineering and manufacturing but also regenerative medicine. Unlike the traditional 3D printing process, additive bio-manufacturing, also known as 3D bio-printing has a lot of challenges like cell survivability and proliferation, and the mechanical properties of the biomaterials which involve printability and the ability to hold its structural integrity. Proper design of experiments with extensive rheological investigation can help identify useful mechanical property ranges which are directly related to the geometric fidelity of 3D bio-printed scaffolds. Therefore, to investigate the printability of a low viscosity Alginate-Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC), multiple concentrations of the mixture were tested maintaining a 8% (w/v) solid content. A set of rheological tests such as the Steady Rate Sweep Test, Three Point Thixotropic Test (3ITT), and Amplitude test were performed. The outcome of those tests showed that the rheological properties can be controlled with the percentage of CMC in the mixtures. The fabricated filaments and scaffolds in the 5 combinations of CMC percentages were analyzed for flowability and shape fidelity. The rheological results and the printability and shape fidelity results were analyzed.

Similar Rates of AKI during the First Two Waves of COVID-19 in Northern Italy: a single-center study

Introduction: Two waves of COVID-19 cases have overwhelmed most European countries during 2020. It is unclear if the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) has changed during the COVID-19 outbreaks. This study aims to evaluate the differences in incidence, risk factors and outcome of AKI in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first and second wave of COVID-19. Method: We reviewed the health medical records of 792 consecutive patients with COVID-19 hospitalized at the University Hospital of Modena, Italy, from February 25 to December 14, 2020. Results: AKI was diagnosed in 122 (15.4%) patients. Incidence of AKI remained steady rate during wave-1 (15.9%) and wave-2 (14.7%) (P=0.89). AKI patients were older (P=<0.001) and had a more severe respiratory impairment (PO2/FO2) (P=≤0.001) than their non-AKI counterparts. AKI led to a longer hospital stay (P=0.001), complicated with a higher rate of ICU admission. COVID-19-related AKI was associate with 59.7% of deaths during wave-1 and 70.6% during wave-2. At the end of the period of observation, 24% (wave-1) and 46.7% (wave-2) of survivors were discharged with a not fully recovered kidney function. Risk factors for AKI in patients with COVID-19 were diuretics (HR=5.3; 95%CI, 1.2-23.3; P=0.025) and cardiovascular disease (HR, 2.23; 95%CI, 1.05-5.1; P=0.036). Conclusion: The incidence of AKI (about 15%) remained unchanged during 2020, regardless of the trend of COVID-19. AKI occurred in patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms and was associated with a higher incidence of deaths than non-AKI patients. The risk factors of COVID-19-related AKI were diuretic therapy and cardiovascular disease.

Co-creating Social Change through Citizen Science: Systematic Literature Analysis

Citizen science encompasses partnerships between professional scientists and society, opening opportunities for more active citizen engagement in co-creation of social change. Members of the scientific community and citizens are starting to experiment with digital and offline resources to collaborate with each other to solve societal problems. This article aims to discuss the possible role of citizen science in co-creating social change in society or local community settings. The article is based on systematic literature analysis. The findings* show that co‐created research might have a particularly strong impact on the wealth of society and wider outcomes in the local or regional settings. However, such cases are not very common yet. Although academic research on co-creative approaches to citizen science and stakeholder engagement is growing at a steady rate, it remains a relatively emergent domain.

Early-career offending trajectories among outlaw motorcycle gang members

This study examines the criminal histories of outlaw motorcycle gang (OMCG) members during adolescence and early adulthood to determine whether the profile of young members has changed over time. The recorded offence histories of three cohorts of members—those born between 1979 and 1983, 1984 and 1988, and 1989 and 1993—were compared. Seventy-eight percent of OMCG members across all three cohorts had at least one recorded offence between the ages of 12 and 24. The majority of offenders did not desist but continued offending at a steady rate into adulthood. The youngest cohort in the study was more likely than the middle and older cohorts to have a criminal history and follow a high-rate offending trajectory. Members of the youngest cohort were also more likely to have been apprehended for violence and intimidation, weapons and ongoing criminal enterprise offences by their early twenties. These results suggest that OMCGs are recruiting younger members, who are becoming involved in gang-related offending earlier in life, or that individuals with a history of offending are becoming more likely to join or be recruited into OMCGs.