Modified quasilinearization method for solving nonlinear equations

Modified quasilinearization algorithm for solving nonlinear equation

Biodegradation of rocket propellant waste, ammonium perchlorate

The short term effects of ammonium perchlorate on selected organisms were studied. A long term experiment was also designed to assess the changes incurred by ammonium perchlorate on the nitrogen and chloride contents of soil within a period of 3 years. In addition, an attempt was made to produce methane gas from anaerobic fermentation of the aquatic weed, Alternanthera philoxeroides

Some aspects of the oxygen-deficient conditions and denitrification in the Arabian Sea

Utilizing a fairly large amount of recently collected data, some outstanding questions concerning the Arabian Sea denitrification problem are addressed. The true levels of dissolved oxygen, determined colorimetrically, are about an order of magnitude lower than those reported previously from the oxygen minimum zone. Lateral advection of waters from south into the oxygen-deficient layer is suggested by the presence of an intermediate oxygen maximum discernible even at very low oxygen levels. An unusual minimum in nitrate and a corresponding maximum in nitrite are observed occasionally within the depth range 700–1,200 m at several stations, generally located in the northeastern Arabian Sea. These features probably represent the development of a deeper denitrifying layer, in addition to the main denitrifying layer invariably found in the northern Arabian Sea at shallower depths. The deeper layer appears to be related to an increase in particulate organic carbon, probably resulting from seasonal changes in primary production, lateral advection of waters from the slope region off the Indian coast, or an in-situ production of organic matter. Reoccupation of a number of stations reveals large short-term variability in denitrification intensity. Associated with the temporal variability, the southern boundary of denitrification appears to oscillate between Lats. 12 and 14N, except in the western Arabian Sea where it might shift to 18N during the southwest monsoon. Peak values of the integrated deficits do not occur within or near zones of high biological productivity; i.e., along the eastern and western boundaries. This is attributed to a more intense renewal of waters along these margins, through the northerly flow of waters, relatively rich in oxygen, to compensate for the vertical advection (upwelling) off Arabia, and through a hitherto undetected undercurrent off the west coast of India. Well-defined tongues of high and low integrated deficits, alternately extending northward and southward, respectively, possibly reflect net transports within the oxygen-deficient layer.Rate of denitrification in the Arabian Sea is estimated from the exports of nitrate deficits out of the denitrification zone. The results indicate that the horizontal processes are responsible for the removal of the bulk (\u3e85%) of the deficits. The deduced rate (29.5 × 1012 gN y−1) is at least an order of magnitude higher than the previous estimates. Combining this value with the estimated standing crop of denitrified nitrogen, the renewal time of the oxygen-deficient layer is deduced as ∼4 y. The short renewal time, supported by tritium data, is consistent with the observed short-term variability in denitrification intensity. The high rate of denitrification deduced in the present study appears to conform to global trends. It is suggested that currently accepted estimates of oceanic water column denitrification should be scaled-up by 40 to 100% in view of the present results

Portfolio optimisation with higher moments of risk at the Pakistan Stock Exchange

Stock markets play an important role in spurring economic growth and development through diversification opportunities. However, diversification cannot be truly achieved if we continue to ignore additional dimensions of risk, namely skewness and kurtosis. This study incorporates higher moments of risk to form a mean-varianceskewness-kurtosis based framework for portfolio optimisation. Inclusion of higher moments in optimisation framework acknowledges the risk of asymmetric returns and fat-tail risk and can help investors in formulating optimal portfolios of stocks which can be significantly divergent from the ones they obtain through the Markowitz meanvariance optimisation. Our results confirm the presence of tradeoff between returns and additional dimensions of risk in Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) and strongly suggest including them in the optimisation framework to avoid sub-optimal decisions and to curtail exposure towards higher moments of risks

SATL model lesson for teaching effect of temperature on rate of reaction

Physical Chemistry is an experimental science based upon theories supported by mathematical input. It is therefore crucial that one who teaches Physical Chemistry should give a wholesome knowledge about any issue relating to this vital discipline in chemistry. To achieve this end, a systematic approach to teaching and learning method is the most appropriate teaching method [1-2]. It helps to ingrain knowledge so that illustrations of different parameters  through systematic diagrams are helpful in in-depth transformation of  knowledge relating to any concept. [AJCE 4(2), Special Issue, May 2014

Medical school teaching on interprofessional relationships between primary and social care to enhance communication and integration of care – a pilot study

Background: A pilot study to identify if the delivery of teaching session to medical students would have the potential to enhance communication and a culture of integration between primary and social care, ultimately improving interprofessional relationships between primary and social care. Health and social care integration is a topic of great debate in the developed world and the focus of the upcoming Green Paper by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in the NHS. There is much uncertainty to how this should be done and is hindered by the various current barriers. The literature identifies that collaborative cultures encourage effective interprofessional relationships and that communication is vital to integration of primary and social care and should be established early in medical training. Materials and Method: The General Medical Council’s Outcomes for Graduates and Imperial College School of Medicine curriculum were reviewed out to identify outcomes relating to inter-professional relationships between primary and social care. The relevant year group was surveyed to identify if the learning objective was delivered. In order to determine if delivery of a teaching session on nurturing interprofessional relationships between primary and social care would be effective, it was delivered to early clinical years to measure benefits as a pilot study. This was devised of case-based scenarios derived from learning objectives developed with experienced health care professionals. A survey was administered before and after the teaching session to determine if the students felt they had improved with respect to the learning objectives. Results: The initial survey identified the majority of students found the learning objectives were not delivered. The teaching session found a statistically significant improvement in confidence to nurture interprofessional relationships between primary and social care. Conclusion: Effective interprofessional relationships between primary and social care, improving communication and collaborative cultures, can be effectively taught in medical school, to improve integration of primary and social care

The general practice perspective on barriers to integration between primary and social care: a London, United Kingdom-based qualitative interview study

Objective: There is an ongoing challenge of effective integration between primary and social care in the United Kingdom; current systems have led to fragmentation of services preventing holistic patient-centred care for vulnerable populations. To improve clinical outcomes and achieve financial efficiencies, the barriers to integration need to be identified and addressed. This study aims to explore the unique perspectives of frontline staff (General Practitioners and Practice Managers) towards these barriers to integration. Design: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to obtain results. Setting: General Practices within London. Participants: 18 General Practitioners (GPs) and 7 Practice Managers (PMs) based in London with experience of working with social care. Results: The study identified three overarching themes where frontline staff believed problems exist: accessing social services, interprofessional relationships, and infrastructure. Issues with contacting staff from other sectors creates delays in referrals for patient care and perpetuates existing logistical challenges. Likewise, professionals noted a hostile working culture between sectors that has resulted in silo working mentalities. In addition to staff being overworked as well as often inefficient multidisciplinary team meetings, poor relationships across sectors cause a diffusion of responsibility, impacting the speed with which patient requests are responded to. Furthermore, participants identified that a lack of interoperability between Information Systems, lack of pooled budgets and misaligned incentives between managerial staff compound the infrastructural divide between both sectors. Conclusion: In this study, primary care staff identify intangible barriers to integration such as poor interprofessional relationships, in addition to more well-described structural issues such as insufficient funding and difficulty accessing social care. Participants believe educating the next generation of medical professionals may lead to the development of collaborative, instead of siloed, working cultures and that change is needed at both an interpersonal and institutional level to successfully integrate care

Chloramphenicol therapy of typhoid fever

In a prospective study we compared two different dosage regimens of IV chloramphenicol succinate (100 mg/kg/day and 75 mg/kg/day) in children with culture proven typhoid. Trough and peak blood samples, obtained at 48 hrs, were analysed for free chloramphenicol by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Although the mean trough (8.8 +/- 7.7 versus 5.4 +/- 2.6 mcg/ml) and peak (19.9 +/- 12.2 versus 15.4 +/- 6.1 mcg/ml) chloramphenicol concentrations were comparable in both groups, a significantly wider range was found in the group receiving 100 mg/kg/day. Potentially toxic levels (greater than 30 mcg/ml) developed in two patients with liver dysfunction. Chloramphenicol in a dosage of 75 mg/kg/day is adequate and safe for the treatment of paediatric typhoid

Nitrous oxide emissions from the Arabian Sea: A synthesis

We computed high-resolution (1º latitude x 1º longitude) seasonal and annual nitrous oxide (N2O) concentration fields for the Arabian Sea surface layer using a database containing more than 2400 values measured between December 1977 and July 1997. N2O concentrations are highest during the southwest (SW) monsoon along the southern Indian continental shelf. Annual emissions range from 0.33 to 0.70 Tg N2O and are dominated by fluxes from coastal regions during the SW and northeast monsoons. Our revised estimate for the annual N2O flux from the Arabian Sea is much more tightly constrained than the previous consensus derived using averaged in-situ data from a smaller number of studies. However, the tendency to focus on measurements in locally restricted features in combination with insufficient seasonal data coverage leads to considerable uncertainties of the concentration fields and thus in the flux estimates, especially in the coastal zones of the northern and eastern Arabian Sea. The overall mean relative error of the annual N2O emissions from the Arabian Sea was estimated to be at least 65%