Synthesis of new sulphides of transition metal ions in presence of sun light

New sulphides of transition metal ions [M⁺ⁿ = Cu⁺¹, Cu⁺² and Zn⁺²] have been synthesised in sunlight. XRD patterns show that these compounds are not MxSy but are mercaptyl, hydroxyl metal sulphides [M(SH)(OH)(H₂O)₂] which is further ascertained by I.R. spectra showing bands due to T _d-symmetry. ESCA of compound of copper in solid state shows presence of Cu¹⁺ and Cu²⁺ ion. The presence of hydroxyl, mercaptyl, aqua and S^–2 groups has finally been confirmed with TGA, DTA and ESCA. Conductivity and Seebeck coefficient measurements show that compound of copper is p-type semiconductor and compound of zinc is n-type semiconductor. The production of these low cost materials opens an interesting area of research and development for their use in solar cell devices.     

Assessment of service exposed boiler tubes

Boiler tubes in power plants have finite life because of prolonged exposure to high temperature, stress and aggressive environment. Service-exposed platen superheater and reheater tubes (148,900 h) made of 2.25Cr-1 Mo steels in a 120 MW boiler of a thermal power plant were evaluated for remnant life. The investigation included hot tensile tests, hardness measurement, dimensional measurement, microscopy and creep tests. Experimentally determined yield and ultimate tensile strength, and estimated 10,000–100,000 h rupture strength in the temperature range 520–580 °C, exhibited a decreasing trend with increasing temperature. Microstructural study did not reveal any significant degradation in terms of creep cavities, cracks, graphitization, etc. Analysis of tensile and stress rupture data revealed that although there was degradation of the tubes due to prolonged service exposure in terms of the ultimate tensile strength values, stress rupture plots showed that the service exposed superheater and reheater tubes could remain in service for a length of more than 10 years at the operating hoop stress of 40 MPa/540 °C, provided no localised damage in the form of cracks or dents develop.     

Regulation of an Escherichia coli/mammalian chimeric carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase

Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase (CPSase) consists of a 120-kDa synthetase domain (CPS) that makes carbamoyl phosphate from ATP, bicarbonate, and ammonia usually produced by a separate glutaminase domain. CPS is composed of two subdomains, CPS.A and CPS.B. Although CPS.A and CPS.B have specialized functions in intact CPSase, the separately cloned subdomains can catalyze carbamoyl phosphate synthesis. This report describes the construction of a 58-kDa chimeric CPSase composed of Escherichia coli CPS.A catalytic subdomains and the mammalian regulatory subdomain. The catalytic parameters are similar to those of the E. coli enzyme, but the activity is regulated by the mammalian effectors and protein kinase A phosphorylation. The chimera has a single site that binds phosphoribosyl 5'-pyrophosphate (PRPP) with a dissociation constant of 25 microM. The dissociation constant for UTP of 0.23 mM was inferred from its effect on PRPP binding. Thus, the regulatory subdomain is an exchangeable ligand binding module that can control both CPS.A and CPS.B domains, and the pathway for allosteric signal transmission is identical in E. coli and mammalian CPSase. A deletion mutant that truncates the polypeptide within a postulated regulatory sequence is as active as the parent chimera but is insensitive to effectors. PRPP and UTP bind to the mutant, suggesting that the carboxyl half of the subdomain is essential for transmitting the allosteric signal but not for ligand binding.     

Microstructure evolution during batch annealing

Design of industrial annealing cycles requires recrystallization and grain growth studies, which are typically carried out under isothermal laboratory condition. The kinetics coefficients of these phase transformations are obtained from such studies, which are subsequently used in designing the industrial nonisothermal cycles using the additivity principles. However, the strong heating rate effects on the grain growth kinetics necessitate such kinetics studies using industrial thermal profiles. In the present work, the hot and cold spot cycles of an industrial batch annealing cycle for AIK grade steel have been simulated in a programmable laboratory furnace. Subsequently, the effect of annealing temperature, soaking time, and heating rate on the microstructural features, such as grain size distribution, grain shape anisotropy, and grain orientation, have been investigated through extensive quantitative microscopy. The implications of these results on the design of industrial batch annealing cycles have been discussed.     

Are we Building a Better World with ICTs? Empirically Examining this Question in the Domain of Public Health in India

As social scientists engaged in Information Technologies for Development (IT4D), a question we need to necessarily engage with is “are we building a better world with Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)?” This question, first posed by Professor Geoff Walsham in the IS field, was the topic of my plenary discussion at the IFIP 9.4 meeting in Jamaica 2014, and had now been further developed to this “view from practice” paper for this journal. A first step in this paper has been the reformulation of the question which Professor Walsham raised: “What distortions and obstacles are created by the historical, material, and institutional conditions, and how these shape our efforts of ICTs creating a better world?” This reformulation is done to bring in more explicitly the political dimension into the question, and to nuance the technological deterministic argument implied in the question of technology (always) creating a better world. Taking an empirical example of an ICT intervention from the public health sector in India, deliberately chosen to emphasize distortions typically seen is similar Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) projects, the analysis focuses on understanding the conditions of distortions, why they occur, and what can be done differently to contribute to our notion of a better world.     

Information technology in developing countries: A need for theory building∗

Abstract

The use of information technology (IT) in developing countries has attracted a considerable amount of attention in recent years. However, the research in this area is largely fragmented, and there is a need to consolidate efforts in order to make research more effective. Theory can provide a basis for this consolidation process by allowing communication between different researchers and also between researchers and practitioners. The primary objective of this paper is to describe aspects of the state of existing theory in the field of IT in developing countries, and discuss possible research directions for the future. A total of 199 articles were analyzed to describe existing research themes, and future directions are discussed in terms of level of analysis, research methods, and research reports.     

The role of communication practices in the strengthening of counter networks: Case experiences from the health care sector of Mozambique

In this article we provide a theoretically informed empirical analysis of the introduction and use of information and communication technology (ICT) within the primary health care (PHC) sector of Mozambique. The theoretical lens for this analysis is developed from Manuel Castells' (1996, 1997, 2001) ideas on the network society and counter domination. These ideas help us to conceptualize the communicative action required to strengthen the PHC sector as a “counter network,” which has the normative aim to strengthen the health information system (HIS) as a key strategy to improve health care delivery. Taking an informational perspective, the role of communication is highlighted as playing an important constitutive basis in the strengthening of this network. These conceptual ideas are applied to the empirical analysis of an ongoing project (the Health Information Systems Programme or HISP), and to analyze some key constraints and strategies for strengthening these networks. This study makes key contributions to both the theoretical and practical domains of HIS in developing countries. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Challenges in Moving to “Health Information for Action”: An Infrastructural Perspective From a Case Study in Tajikistan

Health information systems (HIS) in developing countries are mainly characterized as being “data led,” with vast amounts of data being routinely collected, but with limited evidence of them being used “for action.” While past research and practice have made significant progress in understanding issues contributing to this situation, limited advancement has been made as to how to redress the situation. Further, infrastructure issues impeding data use have also not been significantly highlighted in existing research. Drawing on a longitudinal case of the design, development and implementation of HIS in Tajikistan, we argue that a reason for this weak progress has been the rather narrow focus on technology, ignoring the broader issues that influence its uptake and use. We explore this through an “infrastructure” lens to enable a more holistic perspective to understand complex socio-technical networks with a multiplicity of interests, actors and technologies in play which need to be aligned. A key contribution of this paper is the identification of facets of a health information infrastructure which helps to identify both the constraints and opportunities in making a transition from a data-led to an action-led system.