The development of the modern power system has led to an increasing complexity in the study of power systems, and also presents new challenges to power system stability, and in particular, to the aspects of transient stability and small-signal stability. Transient stability control plays a significant role in ensuring the stable operation of power systems in the event of large disturbances and faults, and is thus a significant area of research. This paper investigates the improvement of transient stability of a two-area power system, using UPFC (Unified Power Flow Controller) which is an effective FACTS (Flexible AC Transmission System) device capable of controlling the active and reactive power flows in a transmission line by controlling appropriately its series and shunt parameters.

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Introduction: Dry powder inhalers (DPI) have been in use in the treatment of chronic respiratory diseases for decades. DPIs require proper inhaler technique to ensure appropriate dose delivery to the lungs which in turn provides disease control and hence reduces the economic burden due to frequent acute attacks and hospital visits. Inadequate inhaler technique remains an everlasting problem among patients with chronic respiratory disease. Hence the aim is to assess the inhaler technique in patients using DPI and to determine the factors associated with inhaler technique. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted and 385 patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were recruited. Patient-related and disease-related factors were noted. Severity of the disease were assessed using asthma control test/COPD assessment test questionnaire and spirometer. The investigator assessed the inhaler technique of the patient against standard checklist. Results: Nearly 46.2% of the patients performed incorrect inhaler technique. Multivariate analysis showed factors like young age [Odd's ratio (OR) 4.13, CI 1.31-17.8], well controlled disease (OR 2, CI 1.1-3.65), and the patients who learnt the technique from a medical personnel (OR 3.67, CI 1.46-9.24) had better inhaler technique. Conclusion:This study shows that the proper use of inhaler is still an unattained goal and significance of correct use has to be reiterated.

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Mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is a collection of autonomous mobile nodes forming an ad hoc network without fixed infrastructure. Dynamic topology property of MANET may degrade the performance of the network. However, multipath selection is a great challenging task to improve the network lifetime. We proposed an energy-aware multipath routing scheme based on particle swarm optimization (EMPSO) that uses continuous time recurrent neural network (CTRNN) to solve optimization problems. CTRNN finds the optimal loop-free paths to solve link disjoint paths in a MANET. The CTRNN is used as an optimum path selection technique that produces a set of optimal paths between source and destination. In CTRNN, particle swarm optimization (PSO) method is primly used for training the RNN. The proposed scheme uses the reliability measures such as transmission cost, energy factor, and the optimal traffic ratio between source and destination to increase routing performance. In this scheme, optimal loop-free paths can be found using PSO to seek better link quality nodes in route discovery phase. PSO optimizes a problem by iteratively trying to get a better solution with regard to a measure of quality. The proposed scheme discovers multiple loop-free paths by using PSO technique.

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Background: The national tuberculosis (TB) programme in India recommends screening all pregnant women for TB, but this is rarely implemented. We carried out systematic TB screening among women attending the antenatal clinic of a tertiary care hospital in Puducherry, South India, during February to April 2018. Objective: To assess the number screened and number (proportion) with presumptive and active TB, and understand potential implementation from the healthcare providers' perspective. Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods study. The quantitative phase was a cross-sectional study including 4203 pregnant women. Data were captured using a structured proforma. Any of the following symptoms constituted 'presumptive TB': any cough, haemoptysis, fever, weight loss, night sweats, neck swellings, joint pains, neck stiffness and disorientation. Those screening positive were referred for investigations and evaluation by a chest physician. The qualitative phase involved seven one-to-one interviews with healthcare providers. Manual thematic analysis was performed to generate themes. Results: Among 4203 women (two HIV-positive) screened, 77 (1.8%) had presumptive TB. Cough was the predominant symptom (n = 75). Only 12 women could produce a sputum sample, of whom one (0.02%) was diagnosed with active TB by the Xpert MTB/RIF assay. Challenges cited by healthcare providers were lack of awareness among clients and providers, high case load, lack of dedicated staff, perception that TB screening is a low-yield, low-priority activity and losses in the referral process. Suggested solutions were providing dedicated staff and space for screening, educating women to self-report using posters and videos, and creating a one-stop care provision. Conclusions: The TB yield among pregnant women was very low, calling into question the value of systematic screening in a low-HIV setting. However, the findings may not be generalizable. Evidence is urgently needed from primary and secondary care facilities. The challenges and solutions identified may help in optimizing the screening process.

Introduction: Dry powder inhalers (DPI) have been in use in the treatment of chronic respiratory diseases for decades. DPIs require proper inhaler technique to ensure appropriate dose delivery to the lungs which in turn provides disease control and hence reduces the economic burden due to frequent acute attacks and hospital visits. Inadequate inhaler technique remains an everlasting problem among patients with chronic respiratory disease. Hence the aim is to assess the inhaler technique in patients using DPI and to determine the factors associated with inhaler technique. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted and 385 patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were recruited. Patient-related and disease-related factors were noted. Severity of the disease were assessed using asthma control test/COPD assessment test questionnaire and spirometer. The investigator assessed the inhaler technique of the patient against standard checklist. Results: Nearly 46.2% of the patients performed incorrect inhaler technique. Multivariate analysis showed factors like young age [Odd's ratio (OR) 4.13, CI 1.31-17.8], well controlled disease (OR 2, CI 1.1-3.65), and the patients who learnt the technique from a medical personnel (OR 3.67, CI 1.46-9.24) had better inhaler technique. Conclusion:This study shows that the proper use of inhaler is still an unattained goal and significance of correct use has to be reiterated.