Gender in lift irrigation schemes in East Gujarat, India

Irrigation management / Participatory management / Women in development / Woman's status / Gender / Irrigated farming / Irrigation programs / Water lifting / Communal irrigation systems / Cooperatives / Legal aspects / Decision making / Villages

What will anisotropies in the clustering pattern in redshifted 21 cm maps tell us?

The clustering pattern in high redshift HI maps is expected to be anisotropic due to two distinct reasons, the Alcock-Paczynski effect and the peculiar velocities, both of which are sensitive to the cosmological parameters. The signal is also expected to be sensitive to the details of the HI distribution at the epoch when the radiation originated. We use simple models for the HI distribution at the epoch of reionizaation and the post-reionization era to investigate exactly what we hope to learn from future observations of the anisotropy pattern in HI maps. We find that such observations will probably tell us more about the HI distribution than about the background cosmological model. Assuming that reionization can be described by spherical, ionized bubbles all of the same size with their centers possibly being biased with respect to the dark matter, we find that the anisotropy pattern at small angles is expected to have a bump at the characteristic angular size of the individual bubbles whereas the large scale anisotropy pattern will reflect the size and the bias of the bubbles. The anisotropy also depends on the background cosmological parameters, but the dependence is much weaker. Under the assumption that the HI in the post-reionization era traces the dark matter with a possible bias, we find that changing the bias and changing the background cosmology has similar effects on the anisotropy pattern. Combining observations of the anisotropy with independent estimates of the bias, possibly from the bi-spectrum, may allow these observations to constrain cosmological parameters.Comment: Minor changes, Accepted to MNRA

Seismic Behaviour of Multistorey RC Frames with vertical Mass Irregularities

The buildings with mass irregularity behave differently as compared to regular buildings. In the present study, a parameter called mass irregularity index has been proposed to quantify the mass irregularity. The proposed factor depends mainly upon magnitude and location of mass irregularity. Further the present study aims to modify the expression of time period proposed by IS 1893:2002 and relation between mass irregularity coefficient and time period has been evaluated. For present study a family of 108 frames with mass irregularity have been modelled and analyzed by time history analysis. The proposed expression for time period has been validated for buildings with mass irregularity

A prospective clinical study of feto-maternal outcome in pregnancies with abnormal liquor volume

Background: Evaluating feto-maternal outcome in pregnancies with abnormal liquor volume.Methods: 200 pregnant subjects between 20 and 42 weeks of gestation, who were clinically suspected to have an abnormal amniotic fluid volume (oligohydramnios or polyhydramnios) were subjected to ultrasonographic (USG) assessment of amniotic fluid index. The subjects were closely monitored during pregnancy, labour and puerperium.Results: Ultrasonically, abnormal liquor volume was confirmed in 90-93% clinically suspected patients. Post term pregnancy (39%), PROM (30%) and prolonged pregnancy (24%) were associated with oligohydramnios. Fetal   congenital anomalies (31%), diabetes mellitus (20%), PIH (18%), twin pregnancy (7%) and Rh incompatibility (4%) were associated with polyhydramnios. The incidence of labour induction, fetal labour intolerance, CS for fetal distress and 1 min APGAR of <7 was high in oligohydramnios -subjects. Premature labour complicated 40% of polyhydramnios pregnancies. The overall incidence of congenital anomalies (14%) and perinatal mortality (20%) in subjects with abnormal liquor volume was significantly higher (P<0.001) than in women with normal liquor volume (0.3, 2.3% respectively).Conclusions: A good clinical examination can pick up most subjects of abnormal liquor volume. Abnormal liquor volumes are associated with increased maternal morbidity and adverse perinatal outcome

Use of cervical length, measured by transvaginal sonography at 22 to 26 weeks, as a predictor of preterm labour in twin pregnancy

Background: Preterm labour and delivery contributes significantly to perinatal morbidity and mortality in twin gestation. Measurement of cervical length during antenatal period and subsequent follow up may identify women at risk for preterm labour.  The purpose of this study was to determine if measurement of cervical length at 22 to 26 weeks can be used as a predictor of preterm labour in twin pregnancy.Methods: This prospective observational study was carried out in 50 women with twin gestation in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Cervical length was measured using transvaginal sonography and repeated every four weeks till delivery. Cervical length of ≤30 mm was taken as short cervix and delivery before 37 weeks was taken as preterm delivery.Results: Total of 18 out of 50 women (36%) delivered between 32 to 34 weeks, 14 out of 50 (28%) delivered between 34 to 37 weeks, 7 out of 50 (14%) delivered at less than 32 weeks. Therefore, total preterm deliveries at less than 37 weeks were 78%. Total 11 out of 50 (22%) delivered at term i.e. at more than 37weeks. In women, who had short cervical length (≤ 30 mm) at the time of presentation, 14 out of 37 (38 %) delivered between 30 to 34 weeks, 12 out of 37 (32 %) women delivered between 34 to 37 weeks, 5 out of 37 (14%) delivered at ≤ 30 weeks. Rest 6 out of 37 (16 %) delivered after 37 weeks.Conclusions: Short cervical length of ≤30 mm on transvaginal sonography at 22-26 weeks of gestation in twin pregnancy may be used as a screening tool in prediction of preterm labour in asymptomatic twin pregnancy

Local structure of REFeAsO (RE=La, Pr, Nd, Sm) oxypnictides studied by Fe K-edge EXAFS

Local structure of REOFeAs (RE=La, Pr, Nd, Sm) system has been studied as a function of chemical pressure varied due to different rare-earth size. Fe K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements in the fluorescence mode has permitted to compare systematically the inter-atomic distances and their mean square relative displacements (MSRD). We find that the Fe-As bond length and the corresponding MSRD hardly show any change, suggesting the strongly covalent nature of this bond, while the Fe-Fe and Fe-RE bond lengths decrease with decreasing rare earth size. The results provide important information on the atomic correlations that could have direct implication on the superconductivity and magnetism of REOFeAs system, with the chemical pressure being a key ingredient

Landau damping of dust acoustic solitary waves in nonthermal plasmas

Dust acoustic (DA) solitary and shock structures have been investigated under the influence of Landau damping in a dusty plasma containing two temperature nonthermal ions. Motivated by the observations of Geotail spacecraft that reported two-temperature ion population in the Earth's magnetosphere, we have investigated the effect of resonant wave-particle interactions on DA nonlinear structures. The KdV equation with an additional Landau damping term is derived and its analytical solution is presented. The solution has the form of a soliton whose amplitude decreases with time. Further, we have illustrated the influence of Landau damping and nonthermality of the ions on DA shock structures by a numerical solution of the Landau damping modified KdV equation. The study of the time evolution of shock waves suggests that an initial shock-like pulse forms an oscillatory shock at later times due to the balance of nonlinearity, dispersion and disspation due to Landau damping. The findings of the present investigation may be useful in understanding the properties of nonlinear structures in the presence of Landau damping in dusty plasmas containing two temperature ions obeying nonthermal distribution such as in the Earth's magnetotail

Statefinder -- a new geometrical diagnostic of dark energy

We introduce a new cosmological diagnostic pair $\lbrace r,s\rbrace$ called Statefinder. The Statefinder is dimensionless and, like the Hubble and deceleration parameters $H(z)$ and $q(z)$, is constructed from the scale factor of the Universe and its derivatives only. The parameter $r(z)$ forms the next step in the hierarchy of geometrical cosmological parameters used to study the Universe after $H$ and $q$, while the parameter $s(z)$ is a linear combination of $q$ and $r$ chosen in such a way that it does not depend upon the dark energy density $\Omega_X(z)$. The Statefinder pair $\lbrace r,s\rbrace$ is algebraically related to the the dark energy pressure-to-energy ratio $w=p/\epsilon$ and its time derivative, and sheds light on the nature of dark energy/quintessence. Its properties allow to usefully differentiate between different forms of dark energy with constant and variable $w$, including a cosmological constant ($w = -1$). The Statefinder pair can be determined to very good accuracy from a SNAP type experiment.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures. Final version to be published in JETP Lett., presentation shortened, references added and updated, consideration of brane cosmological models included, conclusions unchange

Incidence of caesarean delivery after induction of labour in nulliparous women with unfavorable bishops score at tertiary care centre

Background: Induction of labour means initiation of uterine contractions before onset of spontaneous labour to achieve vaginal delivery, because birth by caesarean delivery is more hazardous than vaginal delivery. Prostaglandins are used in management of Labour and are introduced as agent for induction of Labour. Nulliparous women are more likely to undergo induction of labour and are at a higher risk of caesarean delivery after induction of labour, as compared to multiparous women. Objective of current study was to determine the incidence of caesarean delivery in nulliparous women with unfavourable bishop’s score when induced with dinoprostone gel.Methods: This Hospital based Prospective interventional Study was conducted among 200 nulliparous women of 18-35 years of age with a singleton pregnancy with cephalic presentation at 37-42 weeks with unfavorable bishop score (≤5) and reactive fetal heart rate pattern with no contraindication of vaginal delivery.Results: In our study of 200 participants majority were in the age group of 18-25 years (86%), with period of gestation 40 weeks (45.5%), most common indication of induction was postdated pregnancy (46.5%). Incidence of caesarean delivery was 28.5% and most common indication of caesarean was secondary arrest of labour in 46.5%.Conclusions: The current study concluded that incidence of LSCS was found to be 28.5%. Duration of induction and dose of dinoprostone had positive association with increased incidence of LSCS