On the balance energy and nuclear dynamics in peripheral heavy-ion collisions

We present here the system size dependence of balance energy for semi-central and peripheral collisions using quantum molecular dynamics model. For this study, the reactions of $Ne^{20}+Ne^{20}$, $Ca^{40}+Ca^{40}$, $Ni^{58}+Ni^{58}$, $Nb^{93}+Nb^{93}$, $Xe^{131}+Xe^{131}$ and $Au^{197}+Au^{197}$ are simulated at different incident energies and impact parameters. A hard equation of state along with nucleon-nucleon cross-sections between 40 - 55 mb explains the data nicely. Interestingly, balance energy follows a power law $\propto{A^{\tau}}$ for the mass dependence at all colliding geometries. The power factor $\tau$ is close to -1/3 in central collisions whereas it is -2/3 for peripheral collisions suggesting stronger system size dependence at peripheral geometries. This also suggests that in the absence of momentum dependent interactions, Coulomb's interaction plays an exceedingly significant role. These results are further analyzed for nuclear dynamics at the balance point.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures Accepted in IJMPE (in press

Isospin effects on the energy of vanishing flow in heavy-ion collisions

Using the isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics model we study the isospin effects on the disappearance of flow for the reactions of $^{58}Ni$ + $^{58}Ni$ and $^{58}Fe$ +$^{58}Fe$ as a function of impact parameter. We found good agreement between our calculations and experimentally measured energy of vanishing flow at all colliding geometries. Our calculations reproduce the experimental data within 5%(10%) at central (peripheral) geometries

Editable AI: Mixed Human-AI Authoring of Code Patterns

Developers authoring HTML documents define elements following patterns which establish and reflect the visual structure of a document, such as making all images in a footer the same height by applying a class to each. To surface these patterns to developers and support developers in authoring consistent with these patterns, we propose a mixed human-AI technique for creating code patterns. Patterns are first learned from individual HTML documents through a decision tree, generating a representation which developers may view and edit. Code patterns are used to offer developers autocomplete suggestions, list examples, and flag violations. To evaluate our technique, we conducted a user study in which 24 participants wrote, edited, and corrected HTML documents. We found that our technique enabled developers to edit and correct documents more quickly and create, edit, and correct documents more successfully

Gender and the right to mobility in South Asia

"South Asia including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka encompasses source, transit and destination areas for women who migrate for employment. In context of current migration patterns, this study identifies and analyzes sociopolitical restrictions on women s mobility; and highlights local, national and regional feminist perspectives, strategies and approaches to promote mobility, work and freedom from violence at all stages of migration. The strategies and tactics discussed in this report expand current discourses on migrant rights and provide insight that can inform local, national and regional policies and programmes to promote migrant rights. Part I provides a brief overview of migration patterns, delineates the many restrictions on women s mobility and underlines the spectrums of violence faced by migrant women. Violence in this context includes economic, physical and sexual violence. Part II documents the range of strategies used by South Asia Women s Fund (SAWF) partners. These social movement actors are committed to addressing all forms of migration related violence through an explicitly feminist, rights-based and regional approach. Key thematic areas of engagement include confronting defacto and dejure restrictions on women s right to mobility, right to work and right to information; and challenging social and policy practices that undermine and stigmatize women s work. Finally, the study concludes with thematic recommendations grounded in grassroots experience to inform partner strategies, SAWF funding priorities and future directions of rights-based anti-trafficking initiatives. These insights are relevant to recent global initiatives to address the impact of uneven economic growth within and among countries, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda, Habitat III Urban Agenda and International Labour Organization deliberations on Decent work in global supply chains and Violence against women and men in the world of work.

Critical appraisal of drug promotional literature using World Health Organisation guidelines

Background: Pharmaceutical marketing using drug promotional literatures is an important strategy adopted by the companies to promote their drugs. The primary objective of the present study is to compare the drug promotional literature of different pharmaceutical companies on the basis of World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on ethical drug promotion.Methods: This observational, cross sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital, Delhi. The promotional literature was evaluated in accordance with WHO guidelines, nature of claims, pictorial content presented in it and for the cited references.Results: A total of 208 promotional brochures were analysed. Only few (5.8%) of the promotional literature fulfilled all the criteria as mentioned by the guidelines. Nutritional supplements (27.9%) were the most promoted group of drugs. Pharmaceutical companies were most reluctant to provide information regarding contraindications (9.6%), adjuvants (11.5), side effects (10.6%) and drug interactions (9.6%). Generic name, brand name, dosage form, therapeutic indications were outlined in most of the brochures. Exaggerated emotional claims were made in 47.1% brochures, followed by that of efficacy in 39.4% and safety in 25% of brochures. Pictures of medicinal products outnumbered others with 39.9% followed by pictures of women, children and doctors with 20.7%, 17.3% and 13.5% respectively.Conclusions: Majority of the drug promotional literature did not comply with the ethical guidelines and was inadequate in terms of their adequacy, quality and reliability. Hence, it can be concluded that the majority of the promotional advertisements that are given to the prescribers are not able to spread awareness towards rational prescribing.

The anaerobic bacteriology of intrapulmonary infections in Kuwait

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to ascertain the association of anaerobic bacteria in intrapulmonary infections and their susceptibility pattern to commonly prescribed antibiotics. Methods: One hundred clinical samples (85 broncho-alveolar lavage and 15 lung abscess aspirates) from suspected intrapulmonary infection cases were investigated in order to determine the role of anaerobic bacteria in these infections. The anaerobic bacterial isolates were identified by using the Vitek Anaerobic Card System and conventional methods. Susceptibility of these isolates was determined by Etest method against eight commonly prescribed antibiotics. Results: A total of 42 anaerobes were isolated, of which Prevotella spp. were the commonest isolates, made up of 42.9% (18/42), followed by Peptostreptococcus spp. 33.3% (14/42). Only two Bacteroides fragilis strains were isolated. All the isolates were sensitive to metronidazole, clindamycin, imipenem and meropenem; however, one Prevotella was resistant to piperacillin-tazobactam. The two B. fragilis isolates were susceptible to metronidazole, imipenem, meropenem and piperacillin-tazobactam, and one was found to be resistant to clindamycin. Conclusion: Overall, Prevotella spp. were found to be the predominant anaerobic bacteria associated with intrapulmonary infections in Kuwait. All the commonly prescribed antibiotics had excellent in vitro activities against nearly all the isolates

Management of dry flue gas desulfurization by-products in underground mines. Annual report, October 1994--September 1995

On September 30, 1993, the U.S. Department of Energy-Morgantown Energy Technology Center (DOE-METC) and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC) entered into a cooperative research agreement entitled {open_quotes}Management of Dry Flue Gas Desulfurization By-Products in Underground Mines{close_quotes} (DE-FC21-93MC30252). Under the agreement Southern Illinois University at Carbondale will develop and demonstrate several technologies for the placement of coal combustion residues (CCBs) in abandoned coal mines, and will assess the environmental impact of such underground CCB placement. This report describes progress in the following areas: environmental characterization, mix development and geotechnical characterization, material handling and system economics, underground placement, and field demonstration