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Background: In rural area of a community block, four rabies deaths within 19 days following exposure, in spite of receiving Post exposure Prophylactic vaccination warranted epidemiological investigation and situational analysis to take up remedial measures if any. Methodology: A detailed epidemiological study was planed. The component of the study included eco-geographical evaluation of the study area by visit, post exposure clinic-epidemiological evaluation of survivors by clinical examination and interview, verbal autopsy from the kith and kin of the four dead cases, enquiries on practice of standard protocol by health providers an health seeking behaviour of the cases/families involved through interview and immunological analysis for measuring the titers of antirabies antibodies in sera of some patients following exposure/vaccination. All the 36 cases bitten by rabid Jackal were contacted and interviewed. Family contacts of all four who died were also interviewed. Block Medical Officer of the area was also interviewed. Result: It was found that man made alterations in eco- geographical features were leading to increase in exposure risks to sylvatic rabies. It was found that standard protocol for Post Exposure Prophylaxis was not in practice and health providers and other related agencies needed reorientation on conduct of post exposure prophylaxis. It was found that population living in high risk zone needs to be educated on immediate care to be taken after exposure and modify their own health seeking behaviour by not visiting the quacks.

Studies on the intensive cyanidation of gold-bearing gravity concentrate are carried out in a conical type apparatus. The process takes place in presence of 1.5 kg/t and 3.0 kg/t of an organic acid as an activator varying the sodium cyanide concentration. It is shown that the increase of the reagent-activator presence decreases the extraction time and the leaching losses of gold with tails even at low concentrations of sodium cyanide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research mainly focuses on the recovery of vanadium from oil fly ash by carbon removal and the roast-leach process. The oil fly ash contained about 85% unburned carbon and 2.2% vanadium by weight. A vanadium-enriched product was obtained after carbon removal, and the vanadium content of this product was 19% by weight. Next, the vanadium-enriched product was roasted with sodium carbonate to convert vanadium oxides to water-soluble sodium metavanadate. The roasted sample was leached with water at 60°C, and the extraction percentage of vanadium was about 92% by weight. Several analytical techniques, such as inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), x-ray fluorescence (XRF), and thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), were utilized for sample analyses. Thermodynamic modeling was also conducted with HSC chemistry software to explain the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-silicon spheroidal graphite (SG) irons present higher changes of density during the solidification process when compared to normal SG irons. This special behavior is particularly significant in the last stages of solidification, where the graphite expansion may become insufficient to compensate the contraction of the austenite and the risk of microporosity formation increases. The goal of this laboratory research was to establish correlations between the different levels of nodule count obtained using five commercial inoculants, the cooling rate at the end of solidification, and the shrinkage porosity propensity. The analysis was conducted on thermal analysis cups that were sectioned and evaluated for microstructure by optical metallography and by 2D analysis with the Image J software to quantify the size of the microporosity region. It was found that a higher nodule count, associated with higher cooling rate at the end of solidification, generates lower porosity. SEM analysis was conducted to study the nature of nuclei. Complex (MgSiAl)N nitrides were found as the main nucleation sites for graphite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ilmenite is a vital raw material for the production of metal titanium and titanium-containing materials. In this paper, microstructure and chemical transformation of natural ilmenite in air atmosphere were investigated by the analysis of XRF, X-ray diffractometer, and SEM-EDS. Results showed that the untreated ilmenite had three layers after oxidation at 800 °C for 60 min, which were Fe2O3, TiO2 and the inside mixture layer of Fe2O3 and TiO2 in turn. Subsequently, it was roasted at 900 °C, and Fe2Ti3O9 was firstly developed between Fe2O3 and TiO2 layers. With the increase in the roasting time, the Fe2Ti3O9 layer was decomposed into Fe2TiO5 and TiO2, and Fe2Ti3O9 continued to be formed along the diameter direction toward the center of the particle until Fe2TiO5 and TiO2 were formed as the final products in the center of particles. Pseudorutile in natural ilmenite was directly decomposed into TiO2 and Fe2O3 in the roasting process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses the significance of involvement in the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS). He mentions professional growth, interaction and responsibility as keys to the enduring value of membership in TMS. He assures that TMS will continue to foster valuable member interactions while maintaining those core activities that have come to characterize the society. He encourages non-TMS members to join the professional materials science and engineering society.