Interaction effects in thermocapillary bubble migration

Two bubbles migrating along their line of centers under the influence of an imposed thermal gradient are considered in the quasi-static limit. Results are reported for representative values of the governing parameters

GM crops and gender issues

Correspondence in the December issue by Jonathan Gressel not only states that gender issues in rural settings have not been adequately addressed with respect to weed control biotech but also asserts that such technology can increase the quality of life of rural women in developing countries. Improved weed control is a labor-saving technology that can result in less employment in a labor surplus rural economy. Often in rural areas, wage income is the main source of income and an important determinant of the quality of life, particularly where employment opportunities are generally limited. Apart from soil preparation, planting and weeding, harvesting is also 'femanual' work that can generate more employment if yields are higher. Biotech can enhance the quality of life of women but only if the technology is associated with overall generation of rural employment

Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope observations of an M2.8 flare: insights into the initiation of a flare-coronal mass ejection event

We present the first observations of a solar flare with the GMRT. An M2.8 flare observed at 1060 MHz with the GMRT on Nov 17 2001 was associated with a prominence eruption observed at 17 GHz by the Nobeyama radioheliograph and the initiation of a fast partial halo CME observed with the LASCO C2 coronograph. Towards the start of the eruption, we find evidence for reconnection above the prominence. Subsequently, we find evidence for rapid growth of a vertical current sheet below the erupting arcade, which is accompanied by the flare and prominence eruption.Comment: Accepted for publication in Solar Physic

The structure of dark matter halos in hierarchical clustering theories

During hierarchical clustering, smaller masses generally collapse earlier than larger masses and so are denser on the average. The core of a small mass halo could be dense enough to resist disruption and survive undigested, when it is incorporated into a bigger object. We explore the possibility that a nested sequence of undigested cores in the center of the halo, which have survived the hierarchical, inhomogeneous collapse to form larger and larger objects, determines the halo structure in the inner regions. For a flat universe with $P(k) \propto k^n$, scaling arguments then suggest that the core density profile is, $\rho \propto r^{-\alpha}$ with $\alpha = (9+3n)/(5+n)$. But whether such behaviour obtains depends on detailed dynamics. We first examine the dynamics using a fluid approach to the self-similar collapse solutions for the dark matter phase space density, including the effect of velocity dispersions. We highlight the importance of tangential velocity dispersions to obtain density profiles shallower than $1/r^2$ in the core regions. If tangential velocity dispersions in the core are constrained to be less than the radial dispersion, a cuspy core density profile shallower than 1/r cannot obtain, in self-similar collapse. We then briefly look at the profiles of the outer halos in low density cosmological models where the total halo mass is convergent. Finally, we analyze a suite of dark halo density and velocity dispersion profiles obtained in cosmological N-body simulations of models with n= 0, -1 and -2. We find that the core-density profiles of dark halos, show considerable scatter in their properties, but nevertheless do appear to reflect a memory of the initial power spectrum, with steeper initial spectra producing flatter core profiles. (Abridged)Comment: 31 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Ap

Inhibition of Intestinal Thiamin Transport in Rat Model of Sepsis.

ObjectivesThiamin deficiency is highly prevalent in patients with sepsis, but the mechanism by which sepsis induces thiamin deficiency is unknown. This study aimed to determine the influence of various severity of sepsis on carrier-mediated intestinal thiamin uptake, level of expressions of thiamin transporters (thiamin transporter-1 and thiamin transporter-2), and mitochondrial thiamin pyrophosphate transporter.DesignRandomized controlled study.SettingResearch laboratory at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center.SubjectsTwenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into controls, mild, moderate, and severe sepsis with equal number of animals in each group.InterventionsSepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture with the cecum ligated below the cecal valve at 25%, 50%, and 75% of cecal length, defined as severe, moderate, and mild sepsis, respectively. Control animals underwent laparotomy only.Measurements and main resultsAfter 2 days of induced sepsis, carrier-mediated intestinal thiamin uptake was measured using [H]thiamin. Expressions of thiamin transporter-1, thiamin transporter-2, and mitochondrial thiamin pyrophosphate transporter proteins and messenger RNA were measured. Proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β and interleukin-6) and adenosine triphosphate were also measured. Sepsis inhibited [H]thiamin uptake, and the inhibition was a function of sepsis severity. Both cell membrane thiamin transporters and mitochondrial thiamin pyrophosphate transporter expression levels were suppressed; also levels of adenosine triphosphate in the intestine of animals with moderate and severe sepsis were significantly lower than that of sham-operated controls.ConclusionsFor the first time, we demonstrated that sepsis inhibited carrier-mediated intestinal thiamin uptake as a function of sepsis severity, suppressed thiamin transporters and mitochondrial thiamin pyrophosphate transporter, leading to adenosine triphosphate depletion

Preferred Strategies and Use of Electronic Information Resources among the Academic Community: A Case Study

This paper studied about the Preferred Strategies and Use of Electronic Information Resources among the Academic Community in Manonmaniam Sundaranar University Tirunelveli, which includes the Faculty Members, Research scholars and P G Students. Now days the academic libraries are having more varieties in the form electronics resources. The collection consists of open–access journals, electronic theses and dissertations, audio files and transcripts, maps, newspapers, photographs, manuscripts and rare books, and historical materials. These objects are the vital resource for members of the academic community.. In this study, totally 600 questionnaires were distributed to the respondents among the respondents in Manonmaniam Sundaranar University. Out of 600, 534 questionnaires were returned by the respondents. It resulted that the Preferred Search Strategies to Use the E-Resources that the respondents have given first priority to the e-resources through ‘Advanced Search’. ‘Simple Search’ and ‘Boolean Search’ stated as the second and third preference respectively given by the respondents

Dielectric and polarization experiments in high loss dielectrics: a word of caution

The recent quest for improved functional materials like high permittivity dielectrics and/or multiferroics has triggered an intense wave of research. Many materials have been checked for their dielectric permittivity or their polarization state. In this report, we call for caution when samples are simultaneously displaying insulating behavior and defect-related conductivity. Many oxides containing mixed valent cations or oxygen vacancies fall in this category. In such cases, most of standard experiments may result in effective high dielectric permittivity which cannot be related to ferroelectric polarization. Here we list few examples of possible discrepancies between measured parameters and their expected microscopic origin

New beta-Pyrochlore Oxide Superconductor CsOs2O6

The discovery of a new beta-pyrochlore oxide superconductor CsOs2O6 with Tc = 3.3 K is reported. It is the third superconductor in the family of beta-pyrochlore oxides, following KOs2O6 with Tc = 9.6 K and RbOs2O6 with Tc = 6.3 K. The Tc of this series decreases with increasing the ionic radius of alkaline metal ions, imposing negative chemical pressure upon the Os pyrochlore lattice.Comment: submitted to J. Phys. Soc Jp