Permanence criteria for semi-free profinite groups

We introduce the condition of a profinite group being semi-free, which is more general than being free and more restrictive than being quasi-free. In particular, every projective semi-free profinite group is free. We prove that the usual permanence properties of free groups carry over to semi-free groups. Using this, we conclude that if k is a separably closed field, then many field extensions of k((x,y)) have free absolute Galois groups.Comment: 24 page

Reliability Based Seismic Design of Open Ground Storey Framed Buildings

Open Ground Storey (OGS) framed buildings in which the ground storey is kept open without providing any infill walls and mainly used for parking, are increasingly common in urban areas. Vulnerability of this type of buildings has been exposed in the past earthquakes. OGS buildings are conventionally designed considering a bare frame analysis, ignoring the stiffness of the infill walls present in the upper storeys, which under-estimates the inter-storey drift and the force demand in the ground storey columns. To compensate this, a multiplication factor (MF) is introduced by various international codes while calculating the design forces (bending moments and shear forces) in the ground storey columns. Present study focuses on the evaluation of seismic performances of OGS buildings designed with alternative MFs through performance-based design approach using a probabilistic framework. The probabilistic seismic demand models and corresponding fragility curves for all the selected OGS buildings are developed for different performance levels. Reliability curves are developed for the OGS building frames against the seismic hazard associated with maximum seismic zone of India (Zone-V of IS 1893, 2002). Similar analyses are also carried out on bare frames and fully infilled frames for reference. It is found from the present study that the application of MF only in ground storey, as suggested by many literatures and design codes (including Indian standards), is not an appropriate solution for design of OGS buildings as it leads to vulnerable adjacent storey. This study proposes an effective scheme of MF for design of OGS buildings that yields acceptable levels of reliability index

Support optimization tool for aero engine configuration systems

In an aircraft engine, basic functionality of configuration system is to form the network of supply lines for air, fuel & oil. Configuration hardware mainly consists of tubes, ducts, valves & support brackets. Many of the Aircraft engines are failed due to failure of fuel pipes and caused big hazards. Hence to avoid accidents, hard wares are designed properly against the failures. In order to use the resources properly optimum design of hard wares is necessary. The two basic design requirements for configuration systems are: (a) high cycle fatigue (vibratory stresses) and (b) low cycle fatigue (thermally induced stresses). Under these design requirements optimum design can be done through the selection of critical design parameters. Critical design parameters in a configuration system considered in the present study are: (i) Support location for the tube layout and (ii) Bracket support type at this location. The judicious selections of these two design parameters greatly influence the high cycle fatigue and low cycle fatigue life. This also helps in reducing the weight and cost of the system. Design optimisation is an iterative process and computer software can help to obtain an optimum design. In the present study, user friendly software is developed using TCL/TK environment. This is linked with a commercial software ANSYS and PEZ tool. ANSYS is used to carry out the structural analysis considering preliminary support locations. Analysis results from ANSYS are the inputs for the optimization analysis. PEZ tool modifies the support locations based on the optimization results. ANSYS will analyse the structure once again based on the modified support locations. This loop will continue till target reaches

Rapid Determination of Mg, Fe, Al, etc., in Rock Phosphate Samples using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer

There are several methods for the determination of Mg, Fe, Al and other elements in phosphorite samples. The method of analysis is developed in chemical laboratory of RODL, IBM, Bangalore for rock phosphate sample which is not only very fast and accurate but also maximum number of required elements can be analysed in the prepared solution. This method was used for the analysis of ore dressing products obtained while carrying out the beneficiation studies on rock phosphate samples from China. The sample is treated with aquaregia followed by perchl-oric acid. The prepared solution is used for the determina-tion of maximum number of elements like Mg, Fe, Al etc., by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. By taking suitable aliquot from the solution, P205 can be analysed by volu-metric or gravimetric method. Residue is used for the determination of Si02

Bridging the Gap – Enhancing Private Investment in Future Infrastructure Provision

This research enhances understanding of the infrastructure investment landscape within six countries, Canada, China, India, Singapore, the UK and the US. We find differences in maturity, transparency and openness to international investment across the six countries Through a comprehensive series of interviews with investors, developers, policy makers and advisers we highlight the importance of governments as ‘facilitators’ of private infrastructure investment; providing strategic vision, sustained political commitment and, perhaps most importantly, active project pipelines. The protracted and uncertain nature of infrastructure development pipelines and the complexities in governance frameworks that support infrastructure provision have been considerable barriers to enhanced private investment. Our research has shown that more efficient procurement and investment models for greenfield projects would also enhance private sector investment flows, which in turn would contribute to the re-allocation of the societal and economic benefits associated with new infrastructure provision

The aggregation of cytochrome C may be linked to its flexibility during refolding

Large-scale expression of biopharmaceutical proteins in cellular hosts results in production of large insoluble mass aggregates. In order to generate functional product, these aggregates require further processing through refolding with denaturant, a process in itself that can result in aggregation. Using a model folding protein, cytochrome C, we show how an increase in final denaturant concentration decreases the propensity of the protein to aggregate during refolding. Using polarised fluorescence anisotropy, we show how reduced levels of aggregation can be achieved by increasing the period of time the protein remains flexible during refolding, mediated through dilution ratios. This highlights the relationship between the flexibility of a protein and its propensity to aggregate. We attribute this behaviour to the preferential urea-residue interaction, over self-association between molecules

Family-level sampling of mitochondrial genomes in coleoptera: compositional heterogeneity and phylogenetics

Mitochondrial genomes are readily sequenced with recent technology and thus evolutionary lineages can be sampled more densely. This permits better phylogenetic estimates and assessment of potential biases resulting from heterogeneity in nucleotide composition and rate of change. We gathered 245 mitochondrial sequences for the Coleoptera representing all 4 suborders, 15 superfamilies of Polyphaga, and altogether 97 families, including 159 newly sequenced full or partial mitogenomes. Compositional heterogeneity greatly affected 3rd codon positions, and to a lesser extent the 1st and 2nd positions, even after RY coding. Heterogeneity also affected the encoded protein sequence, in particular in the nad2, nad4, nad5 and nad6 genes. Credible tree topologies were obtained with the nhPhyML (‘non-homogeneous’) algorithm implementing a model for branch-specific equilibrium frequencies. Likelihood searches using RAxML were improved by data partitioning by gene and codon position. Finally, the PhyloBayes software, which allows different substitution processes for amino acid replacement at various sites, produced a tree that best matched known higher-level taxa and defined basal relationships in Coleoptera. After rooting with Neuropterida outgroups, suborder relationships were resolved as (Polyphaga (Myxophaga (Archostemata + Adephaga))). The infraorder relationships in Polyphaga were (Scirtiformia (Elateriformia (Staphyliniformia + Scarabaeiformia (Bostrichiformia (Cucujiformia)))). Polyphagan superfamilies were recovered as monophyla except Staphylinoidea (paraphyletic for Scarabaeiformia) and Cucujoidea, which can no longer be considered a valid taxon. The study shows that, whilst compositional heterogeneity is not universal, it cannot be eliminated for some mitochondrial genes, but dense taxon sampling and the use of appropriate Bayesian analyses can still produce robust phylogenetic trees

Human cloning in film: horror, ambivalence, hope

Fictional filmic representations of human cloning have shifted in relation to the 1997 announcement of the birth of Dolly the cloned sheep, and since therapeutic human cloning became a scientific practice in the early twentieth century. The operation and detail of these shifts can be seen through an analysis of the films The Island (2005) and Aeon Flux (2005). These films provide a site for the examination of how these changes in human cloning from fiction to practice, and from horror to hope, have been represented and imagined, and how these distinctions have operated visually in fiction, and in relation to genre