Climate Change and the Right to Development. Himalayan Glacial Melting and the Future of Development on the Tibetan Plateau

human development, climate change

Exploiting multimode waveguides for pure fibre-based imaging

We acknowledge support from the UK Engineering and Physical Science Research CouncilThere has been an immense drive in modern microscopy towards miniaturisation and fibre based technology. This has been necessitated by the need to access hostile or diffcult environments in-situ and in-vivo. Strategies to date have included the use of specialist fibres and miniaturised scanning systems accompanied by ingenious microfabricated lenses. We present a novel approach for this field by utilising disordered light within a standard multimode optical fibre for lensless microscopy and optical mode conversion. We demonstrate the modalities of bright-field and dark-field imaging and scanning fluorescence microscopy at acquisition rates allowing observation of dynamic processes such as Brownian motion of mesoscopic particles. Furthermore, we show how such control can realise a new form of mode converter and generate various types of advanced light fields such as propagation-invariant beams and optical vortices. These may be useful for future fibre based implementations of super-resolution or light sheet microscopy.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Securing Greater Social Accountability in Natural Resource Management

The world is experiencing a historic convergence of increasing demand for natural resources from emerging economies, prices at record levels across various commodity groups, a downward trend in resource supply, serious trends of ecological instability, and the rise of inequality between those who develop and profit from such resources and the communities that host them. As the world convenes in 2012 for the Rio+20 Earth Summit and marks 50 years since the passage of the UN Declaration on Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources, natural resources are once again changing the geopolitical landscape of countries around the world. Three and a half billion people?half of the global population?live in 56 resource-rich and resource-dependent developing countries, representing less than one third of the 193 members of the UN. (?)Securing Greater Social Accountability in Natural Resource Management

A cross-sectional study on under-emphasized sex determining parameters of femur

Background: There have been researches done based on using ‘Maximum length’ of femur for sex determination. We, the authors of the present study, formulated an index including both (maximum length & girth) and named it as Femoral Girth Index (FGI). An attempt has been made by the authors, with this study, to arrive at appropriate conclusions regarding sex determination using dry femurs representing South-Eastern India (Kancheepuram district region) using three parameters namely, ‘Maximum length’, ‘Maximum girth’ and FGI.Methods: FGI was calculated using the observed values of ‘Maximum length’ and ‘Maximum girth’ of the femurs. Formula used for calculating the FGI was, “Maximum girth of shaft of femur/Maximum length of femur x 100”. Statistical analysis was done using three parameters, namely, maximal length of femur (L), maximum girth of femur (G) and FGI. Significance of the results was assessed implementing unpaired t test.Results: The results were very significant with the application of unpaired t test in relation to the three parameters, maximal length of femur, maximum girth of femur and femoral girth index.Conclusions: We believe that the study results can be reliably used for dry, fully ossified femurs of southern India. FGI, when more than 19.57, is indicative of males and when less than 19.57, is indicative of females.

Morphometric Analytical Study of External Nose Angulations Using Photographic Technique to Derive Reference Values for Sex and Ethnic Group Differentiation in Forensic Identification

Background: Shape of the nose is unique with regard to ethnicity, race, and sex. Therefore, determining external nose angles provides norms for ethnic and racial differences. Prime objective of the present study was to describe the external nose angulations of Medical students of Tamil Nadu origin (representing South Indian population).Methods: The present cross-sectional study was done on 118 Medical students from Velammal Medical College Hospital and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai. Consenting students of Tamil Nadu origin were included. Individuals, other than Tamil Nadu origin, or with noticeable facial disfigurement, or with history of previous facial surgery were excluded. Sample size was calculated using Sample Size Calculator presented as a public service of Creative Research Systems: Survey software, ‘The Survey System’. Results: It was found that the angles were more obtuse in females compared to male counterparts, except for nasofacial and nasomental angles. Based on linear regression graph plotting, low positive correlation was seen to exist between nasal tip and nasolabial angles. However, low negative correlation was found between nasofacial and nasal tip angles. Also, the results were significant with nasofrontal, nasal tip, and nasolabial angles in differentiating gender, i.e., significant difference exists between male and female participants in relation to these angles.Conclusion: Nasofrontal, nasal tip, and nasolabial angles are useful parameters in differentiating individuals based on gender and ethnicity. These angles differed significantly amongst the gender groups in the present study