Quasi-Gramian Solution of a Noncommutative Extension of the Higher-Order Nonlinear Schr\"odinger Equation

The nonlinear Schr{\"o}odinger (NLS) equation, which incorporates higher-order dispersive terms, is widely employed in the theoretical analysis of various physical phenomena. In this study, we explore the non-commutative extension of the higher-order NLS equation (HNLS). We treat real or complex-valued functions, such as g1 = g1(x, t) and g2 = g2(x, t), as non-commutative, and employ the Lax pair associated with the evolution equation as in the commutation case. We derive the quasi-Gramian solution of the system by employing a binary Darboux transformation (DT). Moreover, the solution can be used to study the stability of plane waves and to understand the generation of periodic patterns in the context of modulational instability.Comment: 20 pages, 32 figure

Water poverty in the northeastern hill region (India): potential alleviation through multiple-use water systems: cross-learnings from Nepal Hills

Water poverty index / Construction / Multiple use / Water storage / Farming systems / Villages / Social aspects / Drip irrigation / India / Nepal / Nagaland / Mon district / Lampong Sheanghah

Response of sunflower hybrids to management practices under irrigated arid-environment

Two field experiments were established at Research Farm, Bahauddin Zakariya University, (BZU) Multan, Pakistan, during the spring season of 2009 to study the interactive effect of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) hybrids in terms of growth, fraction of intercepted radiation (Fi), intercepted photo-synthetically active radiation (PAR), yield components and oil contents to planting geometries and nitrogen rates. Experiment 1 comprised nine treatments having combinations of three hybrids (H1 = 19012; H2 = Hysun-33; H3 = DK-4040) and three planting geometries (PG1 = flat sowing; PG2 = ridge sowing; PG3 = bed sowing) while, experiment 2 comprised 16 treatments having combinations of four hybrids (H1 = 00989; H2 = 01087; H3 = 00997; H4 = 010226) and four nitrogen rates (N0 = control; N1 = 75; N2 = 150 and N3 = 225 kg ha-1). The results revealed that, the ontogeny maximum plant height ranged from 32 to 216 cm and from 36 to 299 cm in experiments 1 and 2, respectively. The ontogeny maximum number of leaves plant-1 were 21, 32, 28, 21 and 14 in experiment 1 and 20, 33, 29, 20 and 9 in experiment 2, respectively on respective harvest dates. The ontogeny maximum head diameter was 17, 22 and 25 cm and 20, 21 and 29 cm on respective dates for experiments 1 and 2, respectively. The ontogeny Fi values for experiments 1 and 2, ranged from 0.11 to 0.99 and from 0.09 to 0.99, respectively. The cumulative intercepted PAR ranged from 492 to 812 MJ m-2 and from 627 to 897 MJ m-2 in experiments 1 and 2, respectively. The achene weight ranged from 69.7 to 127.5g and from 65.4 to 93.4g in experiments 1 and 2, respectively. The number of achenes head-1 ranged from 919 to 1868 and 925 to 1678 for experiments 1 and 2, respectively. The achene oil contents ranged from 38.1 to 43.1% and 34.5 to 47.6% for experiments 1 and 2, respectively. However, average oil contents value was 41% for both experiments. From the results, the use of higher nitrogen rates and ridge or bed sowing techniques are recommended for the management practices for the newly developed sunflower hybrids farmers.Keywords: Sunflower hybrids, planting geometries, nitrogen rates, intercepted PA

A unified SLAM solution using partial 3D structure

Good quality of environment mapping demands modelling the associated environment nearly to its 3D originality. This paper presents a unified Simultaneous Localisation And Mapping (SLAM) solution based on partial 3D structure. As compared to existing representations such as grid based mapping, the novelty of the proposed unified approach lies in estimation, representation and handling of compact partial 3D features-based map model for a team of robots that are working in an unknown environment with unknown poses. The approach replies on a camera to perceive the environment and a 2D laser sensor to generate a SLAM solution with partial 3D features based representation. Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) estimates the robot pose based on its motion model and map of the explored environment. The solution has been tested in an indoor environment on two identical custom-developed robots. Experimental results have demonstrated efficacy of the approach. The presented solution can be easily applied on a distributed/centralized robotic system with ease of data handling and reduced computational cost

Dimethyl (2-hydr­oxy-4-phenyl­but-3-en-2-yl)phospho­nate

In the title compound, C12H17O4P, the phenyl­butenyl group is disordered over two sets of sites with an occupancy ratio of 0.755 (12):0.245 (12). In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairs of O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds occur, forming R 2 2(10) ring motifs. The packing is consolidated by weak C—H⋯π inter­actions

Massive primary postpartum haemorrhage: Setting up standards of care

Objective: To review practice of massive primary postpartum haemorrhage management and develop a protocol.Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi between January 1, 2003 and July 31, 2004. Women with primary postpartum haemorrhage and had blood loss \u3e1000ml were included in the study. Medical record files of these women were reviewed for maternal mortality and morbidities which included mode of delivery, possible cause of postpartum haemorrhage, supportive, medical and surgical interventions. Results: Approximately 3% (140/4881) of women had primary postpartum haemorrhage. \u27Near miss\u27 cases with blood loss \u3e1500ml was encountered in 14.37% (20/140) of these cases. Fifty-six percent (18/32) of the women who had massive postpartum haemorrhage delivered vaginally. Uterine-atony was found to be the most common cause, while care in High Dependency Unit (HDU) was required in 87.5% (28/32) of women. In very few cases balloon tamponade (2-cases) and compression sutures (2-cases) were used. Hysterectomy was performed in 4-cases and all of them encountered complications. Blood transfusions were required in 56% of women who had massive postpartum haemorrhage. Conclusion: This study highlights the existence variable practices for the management of postpartum haemorrhage. Interventions to evaluate and control bleeding were relatively aggressive; newer and less invasive options were underutilized. Introduction of an evidence-based management model can potentially reduce the practice variability and improve the quality of car

Asymptomatic presentation of giant bulla of the left apical and anterior segment of the left upper lobe of the lung with near complete atelectasis of the remaining left lung

Giant bullae may be found in association with emphysema. They present as pockets of entrapped air which grow as the surrounding lung retracts away. As they do not take part in gas exchange and merely occupy space, their presence leads to severe impediment of mechanical ventilation in the adjacent lung parenchyma. Patients may present with dyspnoea, exercise intolerance and a feeling of pressure in the chest. The case of a 54 year old gentleman is presented, who was found to have a giant bulla occupying his left hemithorax on a routine chest X-ray. The patient remained asymptomatic despite the large size of the bulla and was treated with surgical resection via thoracotomy i.e. Bullectomy which is the treatment of choice. If left untreated the condition can be complicated by pneumothorax, infection and a slow progression to malignant changes

STAT3 inhibition induces apoptosis in cancer cells independent of STAT1 or STAT2

Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) were originally discovered as mediators of signal transduction. Persistent aberrant activation of STAT3 is part of the malignant phenotype of hormone-refractory prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer; this is thought to be mediated by homodimers of phosphorylated STAT3, which translocate to the nucleus.  One consequence of persistently-activated STAT3 in malignant cells is that they depend upon it for survival.   STAT3 is observed to heterodimerize with STAT1 and STAT2; however the contributions of STAT3:STAT1  and STAT3:STAT2 heterodimers to the survival of malignant cells have not been investigated in detail. Previously we reported that single-stranded oligonucleotides containing consensus STAT3 binding sequences (13410 and 13411) were more effective for inducing apoptosis in prostate cancer cells than antisense STAT3 oligonucleotides. Control oligonucleotides (scrambled sequences) had no effect. STAT3-inhibiting oligonucleotide 13410, but not scrambled-sequence oligonucleotides, induced apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells as well.  Here we report that 13410 and derivative olignucleotides induced apoptosis in STAT1-null and STAT2-null fibrosarcoma cell lines U3A and U6A, as well as in the parental fibrosarcoma cell line 2fTGH. The cell lines expressed constitutively-activated STAT3 and depended on its activity for survival.  Forty-eight hr after transfection of 13410 or related oligonucleotides, significant apoptosis was observed in 2fTGH, U3A and U6A cells. Scrambled-sequence oligonucleotides had no effect on survival.  These data indicate that neither STAT1 nor STAT2 play significant roles in the maintenance of these cells, and by extension that STAT3:STAT1 and STAT3:STAT2 heterodimers regulate a different set of genes from STAT3:STAT3 homodimers.