Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad&nbsp;(IIT Palakkad or IIT PKD) is a public autonomous&nbsp;engineering&nbsp;and&nbsp;research&nbsp;institute located in&nbsp;Palakkad,&nbsp;Kerala. It was&nbsp;one of the five new&nbsp;IITs&nbsp;proposed in the&nbsp;2014 Union budget of India. The campus was inaugurated on 3 August 2015. The institute has 94 faculty, 978 students, and 63 non-teaching staffs.

IT Palakkad currently offers four-year Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) and two years MS programmes in 8 different engineering disciplines including&nbsp;Computer Science, Electrical, Mechanical, Civil among others.

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IIT Palakkad

Traditional clustering often results in imbalanced clusters, limiting its suitability for real-world problems. In response, capacitated clustering methods have emerged, aiming to achieve balanced clusters by limiting points in each cluster. In this paper, we introduce online algorithms with provable bounds on opened centers and cost approximation. We validate our methods experimentally. © 2024 Owner/Author.

World University root node

Department of Data Science

ACM International Conference Proceeding Series

Online Algorithm for Clustering with Capacity Constraints

The demand for robots capable of performing collaborative tasks requiring interactions with the environment is on the rise. Safe interactions with the environment require attributes such as high dexterity and compliance around obstacles, while still maintaining the requisite stiffness levels for payload manipulation. Such attributes are inherent to biological musculoskeletal systems. Motivated by this realization, this paper proposes a cable-actuated spatial joint with variable stiffness, inspired by the tensegrity principles found in biological musculoskeletal systems. The paper provides a detailed analysis of the joint's mobility and mechanism kinematics. Based on the limits of the actuation forces, the paper also presents the wrench-feasible workspace of the joint. The paper also outlines the conditions that the cable actuation forces must satisfy to maintain the static equilibrium of the joint. The stiffness modeling presented in this work demonstrates the modulation of stiffness bounds as a function of cable actuation forces. Furthermore, the stiffness modulation as a function of the geometrical parameters is also presented. © 2024 by ASME.

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics

Kinetostatic Analysis of a Spatial Cable-Actuated Variable Stiffness Joint

The two-electron reduction of 2,3-dimethylbuta-1,3-diene (DMB) with β-diketiminate and guanidinate substituted dimagnesium(I) compounds has given complexes in which two bidentate amido-magnesium fragments are bridged through the π-system of the DMB dianion, viz. [(LMg)2(μ-DMB)] (L=XylNacnac, [HC(MeCNXyl)2]−, Xyl=2,6-xylyl; or Priso=[(DipN)2CNPri2]−, Dip=2,6-diisopropylphenyl). Similar double reductions of [4]dendralene (4dend) have afforded the complexes, [(LMg)2(μ-4dend)] (L=ArNacnac, Ar=Xyl or mesityl (Mes); or Priso) in which the 4dend dianion is π-coordinated to the bidentate amido-magnesium fragments. Treatment of several such complexes with THF leads to Z- to E-isomerization of the dendralene fragment and formation of purely σ-bonded Mg−C interactions in the THF coordinated products [{(ArNacnac)(THF)Mg}2(μ-4dend)] (Ar=Xyl, Mes or Dip). Reaction of myrcene (Myr) with [{(XylNacnac)Mg}2] proceeds via reductive coupling of Myr to give a previously unknown acyclic, branched C20 tetra-olefin dianion complex [{(XylNacnac)(THF)Mg}2(μ-Myr)2]. Preliminary reactions of [(LMg)2(μ-DMB)] with H2 and/or CO yielded a series of products, including novel magnesium hydride compounds, products derived from couplings of CO with the reduced DMB fragment (viz. magnesium dimethylcyclohexadienediolates) and one magnesium cyclopropanetriolate complex from the magnesium(I) induced coupling of DMB with H2 and CO. © 2023 The Authors. Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.

Department of Chemistry

Chemistry - A European Journal

Reductive Metallation of Dendralenes and Myrcene Using Dimagnesium(I) Compounds: A Facile Route to Unsaturated Organomagnesium Compounds

A disposable electrochemical sensor for the detection of the propofol (PPF), an anesthetic drug, has been developed using a composite of SnO2 nanoparticle and Nb2CTx MXene (SnO2/Nb2CTx). The SnO2/Nb2CTx is modified on a flexible carbon cloth for highly sensitive and selective electrochemical detection of PPF. The ratio of SnO2 in the composite was optimized to get enhanced sensor response to cover the analyte range from 1 μM to 300 μM with a limit of detection of 0.24 µM. The developed sensor possesses the requisite sensor parameters viz. selectivity, sensitivity, reproducibility and storage stability. Based on the flexibility analysis, it is confirmed that the developed sensor works for the detection of PPF on a flexible platform as well. The real sample analysis done by spiking PPF in human artificial serum further proves that the developed PPF sensor can effectively detect PPF in serum samples. Over all, the developed sensor improves patient safety by ensuring that they receive the appropriate amount of medication at the right time minimizing the risk of adverse effects associated with over-sedation or under-sedation. © 2023 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry

Biological Sciences and Engineering

Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry

Flexible and disposable electrodes based on SnO2 nanoparticle/Nb2CTx nanosheet composites for selective and ultrasensitive detection of propofol

A novel class of Pd(II) pyrene aroylhydrazone complexes (Pd1–Pd4) of general formula [Pd(L)(PPh3)Cl] (L = pyrene aroylhydrazones) was synthesized and their solid-state structures were determined by single-crystal XRD study. In vitro cytotoxicity of Pd1–Pd4 were examined against two cancer cell lines, HeLa and MCF-7 and two non-cancerous cell line, HEK 293T and 3T3-L1 to assess their selectivity. Among these, Pd2 and Pd3 had the most significant cytotoxic effects in comparison to cisplatin, a traditional anticancer medication featuring undesirable side effects, in tested cancer cell lines. Moreover, they showed noticeably less toxicity towards non-cancerous cell lines. Their interactions with serum albumin were confirmed experimentally as well as with molecular docking. Pd3 was also found to effectively interact with DNA as revealed by DNA interactions studies. Pd3-treated HeLa cells exhibited nuclear apoptotic features such as chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation and was also found to induce ROS which further led to decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential in cancer cells. Further, Pd3 was efficiently internalized by HeLa cells as evident from cellular imaging using confocal microscopy. Taken together, we report a novel class of Pd(II) pyrene aroylhydrazone complexes displaying strong protein/DNA binding and anti-cancer activity via ROS generation under in vitro circumstances. © 2023

Journal of Molecular Structure

Pyrene aroylhydrazone-based Pd(II) complexes for DNA/protein binding, cellular imaging and in vitro anticancer activity via ROS production

In Real-Time analysis of distribution networks, it is essential to correctly represent the as is network status in the field. This includes identification of Energized/De-energized nodes, Energized/De-energized branches, loops, parallels and temporary modifications. Although distribution networks are normally operated radially, a distribution system undergoes several configuration changes topologically in daily operations where, loops and/or parallels may be intentionally or inadvertently created. This paper proposes a novel and practical approach for the formation of the Branch Node Matrix for balanced as well as unbalanced 3-pH networks. The Branch Node Matrix is initially formed for the base network and then updated based on several conditions using the Breadth-First Search algorithm. Identification of specific network topology conditions, based on the Branch Node Matrix, is explained using the above-mentioned approach. Identification of such topological conditions serves the utilities to represent the network correctly and obtain accurate power flow results. Additionally, it may warn the system operators of the existing abnormal topological conditions and to take remedial steps proactively. © 2023 Elsevier B.V.

Department of Electrical Engineering

Electric Power Systems Research

A practical approach to real-time network topology processing in a radial distribution system

The letter presents a method of frequency to time domain conversion of Scattering Parameter data for microwave imaging applications. The time to frequency domain conversion was initially tested in the MATLAB. The testing was conducted in a realistic microwave imaging environment with an antenna and a heterogeneous breast phantom. Note that, the time domain signal obtained from the Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) as well as the time domain signal obtained with the introduced process is similar indicating efficiency of the proposed method. An ultra-wideband (UWB) signal is transmitted from the transmitting Antipodal Vivaldi Antenna to the breast phantom and the received signals are collected by the same antenna over a monostatic process. A total of 36 antenna rotations were considered while scanning the phantom from various orientations. All the data stored in the VNA is extracted and the proposed frequency to time domain conversion technique was applied to it. Finally, the Delay and Sum beamforming algoirithm was used to reconstruct the target image. © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Microwave and Optical Technology Letters

Monostatic microwave imaging of cancerous breast phantom with a frequency to time domain conversion technique

Modern farmers face several challenges in meeting the food needs of the increasing population growth. In order to meet the growing demand without compromising on the quality and quantity within available constraint spaces of farming, they must transform from conventional methods to precision agriculture, reducing direct human intervention. The advancements in agricultural operations from traditional to technological methods improve efficiency and offer a safer work environment. This paper focuses on the preliminary conceptual design and working of a low-cost all-terrain agricultural robot suitable for small/medium-scale farmers. The robot is designed to perform two individual operations—transplanting and weed removal. A brief description of the various components used to perform the two operations is highlighted in this paper. © 2024, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies

Conceptual Design and Structural Analysis of a Multipurpose Agricultural Robot

This work presents a technique to estimate the spatially varying thermal contact conductance (TCC) over the contact zone of non-conformal bolted joints, which are common in satellite structures for mounting of the electronic packages, through a coupled thermal and structural analysis. The heat flow across an interface occurs only through the actual regions of contact rather than the apparent contact area and is governed by the TCC at the interface. Due to its multi scale nature, accurate estimation of TCC is very challenging. In this work, the TCC between two plates, which are joined using a single bolt at the center is determined for four prescribed bolt torques viz. 1.5, 3.0, 4.5 and 6.0 Nm, using non-intrusive temperature measurements performed at locations away from the actual interface. TCC depends upon micro contact conductance of surface asperities and also on the macroscopic deflection of plates occurring due to the application of bolt torque. The effect of micro contact conductance due to surface asperities are modelled by making the TCC a linear function of applied torque. The macroscopic deformation of plates are found by solving the three dimensional state of stress using finite element analysis. The slope parameter connecting TCC and contact pressure is estimated for each torque, for a specified heat flux and sink temperature, via an inverse technique by minimizing the difference between the simulated temperature obtained by the assumed value of slope parameter and the one obtained from the experiments in a least square sense. Subsequently, the estimated values of the TCC are validated by comparing the simulated temperatures with the measured ones obtained from the experiments performed at different conditions (heat fluxes and sink temperatures) for each bolt torque. As the bolt torque increases, due to the deformation of the asperities, the actual contact area increases and approaches the macroscopic contact area. Consequently, the TCC increases and tends to reach a saturation value. This is also manifested by the estimated slope parameter approaching a constant value asymptotically as the bolt torques are increased. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2023.

Heat and Mass Transfer/Waerme- und Stoffuebertragung

Estimation of spatially varying thermal contact conductance of non-conformal bolted joint

To better understand how accurate opaque black box models work, it is necessary to explain their internal workings in terms of human-interpretable image sub-regions known as concepts. This explanation will provide insights into how these models perceive the sharedness of concepts across related classes, as frequently observed in the real world. With this objective in mind, the proposed work aims to leverage an incremental Non-negative Matrix Factorization technique to extract shared concepts in a memory-efficient manner, thereby reflecting the sharedness of concepts across classes. The relevance of the extracted concepts towards prediction, as well as the encoding of primitive image aspects such as color, texture and shape by the concept, will be estimated after training the concept extractor. This approach reduces training overhead and simplifies the explanation pipeline, enabling the elucidation of various concepts - some genuine, some spurious - on which different black box architectures trained on the Imagenet dataset group and distinguish related classes. © 2024 ACM.