Spherical Casimir energies and Dedekind sums

Casimir energies on space-times having general lens spaces as their spatial sections are shown to be given in terms of generalised Dedekind sums related to Zagier's. These are evaluated explicitly in certain cases as functions of the order of the lens space. An easily implemented recursion approach is used.Comment: 18 pages, 2 figures, v2:typos corrected, inessential equation in Discussion altered. v3:typos corrected, 1 reference and comments added. v4:typos corrected. Ancillary results added in an appendi

Strain analysis of multiferroic BiFeO3-CoFe2O4 nanostructures by Raman scattering

We report a Raman scattering investigation of columnar BiFeO3-CoFe2O4 (BFO-CFO) epitaxial thin film nanostructures, where BFO pillars are embedded in a CFO matrix. The feasibility of a strain analysis is illustrated through an investigation of two nanostructures with different BFO-CFO ratios. We show that the CFO matrix presents the same strain state in both nanostructures, while the strain state of the BFO pillars depends on the BFO/CFO ratio with an increasing tensile strain along the out-of-plane direction with decreasing BFO content. Our results demonstrate that Raman scattering allows monitoring strain states in complex 3D multiferroic pillar/matrix composites.Comment: revised version submitted to Appl. Phys. Let

A note on the fishery of mysid, Mesopodopsis zeylanica Nouvel (1954) at Mahim Mumbai

Mysids or opossum shrimps are component of zooplankton composition which are used for human consumption. Mysids are harvested using hand trawl made of mosquito netting during high tide period at surface of water. The article deals the fishery of this mysid, landing and catch composition as preliminary report from the Mumbai coast

History, Violence and Collective Memory: Implications for Mental Health in Ecuador

National histories of violence shape experiences of suffering and professional responses. In Ecuador, mental health literature addressing this crucial issue is scarce and little debated. In contrast, local psychiatrists and psychologists within the country face contemporary challenges that are deeply rooted in a violent colonial past and the perpetuation of its fundamental ethos. This paper critically reviews relevant literature on collective memory and historical trauma, and focuses on Ecuador as a case study on how to incorporate history into modern mental health challenges. The discussion poses key questions and outlines possible ways for Ecuador to address the link between history and mental health, including insights from countries that have struggled with their violent pasts. This paper contributes to ongoing international debate on the role of cultural history in mental health with implications for social scientists and practising clinicians in former colonised nations

Predicting HR Churn with Python and Machine Learning

Employee turnover imposes a substantial financial burden, necessitating proactive retention strategies. The aim is to leverage HR analytics, specifically employing a systematic machine learning approach, to predict the likelihood of active employees leaving the company. Using a systematic approach for supervised classification, the study leverages data on former employees to predict the probability of current employees leaving. Factors such as recruitment costs, sign-on bonuses, and onboarding productivity loss are analysed to explain when and why employees are prone to leave. The project aims to empower companies to take pre-emptive measures for retention. Contributing to HR Analytics, it provides a methodological framework applicable to various machine learning problems, optimizing human resource management, and enhancing overall workforce stability. This research contributes not only to predicting turnover but also proposes policies and strategies derived from the model's results. By understanding the root causes and timing of employee departures, companies can proactively implement measures to mitigate turnover, thereby minimizing the associated financial and operational burdens

Automatic Vehicle Number Plate Recognition for Vehicle Parking Management System

A license plate recognition (LPR) system is one type of intelligent transportation system (ITS). It is a type of technology in which the software enables computer system to read automatically the license number plate of vehicle from digital pictures. Reading automatically the number plate means converting the pixel information of digital image into the ASCII text of the number plate. This paper discuses a method for the vehicle number plate recognition from the image using mathematical morphological operations. The main objective is to use different morphological operations in such a way that the number plate of vehicle can be identified accurately. This is based on various operation such as image enhancement, morphological transformation, edge detection and extraction of number plate from vehicle image. After this segmentation is applied to recognize the characters present on number plate using template matching. This algorithm can recognize number plate quickly and accurately from the vehicles image. Keywords: ANPR, ITS, Image Enhancement, Edge Detection, Morphological Operation, Number Plate Extraction,  Template Matching

Maternal and foetal outcome of hypothyroidism in pregnancy: a prospective observational study

Background: Thyroid dysfunction is one of the most common endocrine disorders affecting women of reproductive age group. There is a debate among obstetricians about universal versus targeted screening for hypothyroidism during pregnancy. Therefore, we conducted this study with aim to highlight the need for universal screening of pregnant women for hypothyroidism. Methods: This was prospective analytical study involving 200 pregnant women conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Mumbai from January 2018 to December 2019. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) was done as a screening test. Estimation of free T3 (FT3) and free T4 (FT4) are advised if TSH was found abnormal. Patients were followed up throughout the pregnancy and postpartum up to 6 weeks. Study parameters were assessed in both mother and neonate and statistical analysis was done. Results: Pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) was observed in 13% of study population. Premature labour was observed in 11% of study population. Recurrent abortion was observed in 7% of study population. Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) was observed in 4% of study population. Anaemia was observed in 69% of study population. Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission was observed in 17% of study population. Neonatal hypo/ hyperthyroidism was observed in 3% of study population. Conclusions: Pregnant females should routinely be screened for thyroid functions to detect hypothyroidism and be given adequate treatment to prevent maternal and foetal complications. Adequate treatment and regular follow up will improve the maternal and foetal outcomes

Diverse small molecule inhibitors of human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease APE1 identified from a screen of a large public collection.

The major human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease APE1 plays a pivotal role in the repair of base damage via participation in the DNA base excision repair (BER) pathway. Increased activity of APE1, often observed in tumor cells, is thought to contribute to resistance to various anticancer drugs, whereas down-regulation of APE1 sensitizes cells to DNA damaging agents. Thus, inhibiting APE1 repair endonuclease function in cancer cells is considered a promising strategy to overcome therapeutic agent resistance. Despite ongoing efforts, inhibitors of APE1 with adequate drug-like properties have yet to be discovered. Using a kinetic fluorescence assay, we conducted a fully-automated high-throughput screen (HTS) of the NIH Molecular Libraries Small Molecule Repository (MLSMR), as well as additional public collections, with each compound tested as a 7-concentration series in a 4 µL reaction volume. Actives identified from the screen were subjected to a panel of confirmatory and counterscreen tests. Several active molecules were identified that inhibited APE1 in two independent assay formats and exhibited potentiation of the genotoxic effect of methyl methanesulfonate with a concomitant increase in AP sites, a hallmark of intracellular APE1 inhibition; a number of these chemotypes could be good starting points for further medicinal chemistry optimization. To our knowledge, this represents the largest-scale HTS to identify inhibitors of APE1, and provides a key first step in the development of novel agents targeting BER for cancer treatment

Failed tubectomy procedures: a retrospective study

Background: It is difficult to understand the nature of factors leading to failure of sterilization from single institute. Knowing the factors, we can take preventive measures. Those data were of women who filed claims under Family Planning Indemnity Scheme, 2013 (revised 2016). The scheme was not reached at grassroots; therefore, not enough women got the benefit of this scheme. We gave the list of documents as well, which help medical fraternity working in rural area.Methods: Retrospective study of 32 women of failed tubal ligation over a period of four years (from 2016 to 2019). The variables under consideration of study were, parity and age at the time of tubectomy. Time and method of tubectomy. Interval between tubectomy and subsequent pregnancy. Outcome of subsequent pregnancy and further contraceptive acceptance. Descriptive statistics used for frequency analysis.Results: Median age of women was 26 years during tubal sterilization. Seventy two percent women were accepted sterilization on two children. Sixty nine percent of tubal sterilization were performed in puerperium; concurrent with caesarean section and medical termination of pregnancy, while 31% were during interval period. Thirty four percent of women became pregnant within 24 months(2years) of sterilization and cumulative 75% within 60 months (5 years) after sterilization. Sixty nine percent of women had intrauterine pregnancies and 31% ectopic pregnancies. Fifty six percent women accepted medical termination of pregnancy and 53% chosen repeat tubal sterilization. Four women (12%) gave live births. Two of them accepted repeat sterilization and another two intrauterine contraceptive devices. Thirty one percent women had ectopic pregnancy; nine of them came as ruptured ectopic, therefore, exploratory laparotomy with bilateral total salpingectomy were to be performed.Conclusions: Failed tubal sterilization is common when it was performed at younger age and in puerperium. Missed period after sterilization should have high index of suspicion of ectopic pregnancy, which leads to severe maternal morbidity

An Impact of Capital Adequacy Ratio on the Profitability of Private Sector Banks in India – A Study

Profitability being one of the cardinal principles of bank lending acts as a game changer for the survival and success of private sector banks in India. In order to stay profitable, banks have to capitalise on every penny advanced to yield the expected returns. However, considering the constraints laid down by the Reserve Bank of India, banks have to maintain a minimum capital adequacy ratio, as per the current BASEL III regulations active in India. With the mergers of public sector banks, the challenge has got just tougher for the private sector banks in India. Expansion and Diversification are the key strategies adopted by the key players from the private banking sector, however, with the minimum capital adequacy ratio observed by them, it is necessary to understand its actual impact on the bank’s profitability. This research paper aims to throw light upon the linkage that capital adequacy has with the bank’s profitability. It attempts to establish a relation between the Capital Adequacy Ratio with the Net profits of the bank. For the purpose of this study, data from the past 5 years of the leading private sector banks has been collected, namely, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, AXIS Bank and YES Bank. The collected data has been analysed using Pearson’s Correlation to establish a relation between the CAR Ratio & the bank’s profitability. Hypothesis testing has been further done to study the quantum of proportionate change in the profitability with a change in the CAR Ratio for private sector banks using applicable research tools. The said research tools are applied to achieve the desired results while maintaining the required quantum of accuracy. It also aims to understand the proportionate impact of changes in CAR to the bank’s profitability, which can act as a suggested measure for banks to develop a reliable framework for efficient capital management and increase overall efficiency. The results derived from the data collected and analyzed aim to provide scope for further study on the subject matter