Azimuthal anisotropy at RHIC: the first and fourth harmonics

We report the first observations of the first harmonic (directed flow, v_1), and the fourth harmonic (v_4), in the azimuthal distribution of particles with respect to the reaction plane in Au+Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Both measurements were done taking advantage of the large elliptic flow (v_2) generated at RHIC. From the correlation of v_2 with v_1 it is determined that v_2 is positive, or {\it in-plane}. The integrated v_4 is about a factor of 10 smaller than v_2. For the sixth (v_6) and eighth (v_8) harmonics upper limits on the magnitudes are reported.Comment: 6 pages with 3 figures, as accepted for Phys. Rev. Letters The data tables are at http://www.star.bnl.gov/central/publications/pubDetail.php?id=3

Genome-Wide Association Study for Type 2 Diabetes in Indians Identifies a New Susceptibility Locus at 2q21

Indians undergoing socioeconomic and lifestyle transitions will be maximally affected by epidemic of type 2 diabetes (T2D). We conducted a two-stage genome-wide association study of T2D in 12,535 Indians, a less explored but high-risk group. We identified a new type 2 diabetes–associated locus at 2q21, with the lead signal being rs6723108 (odds ratio 1.31; P = 3.32 3 1029 ). Imputation analysis refined the signal to rs998451 (odds ratio 1.56; P = 6.3 3 10212) within TMEM163 that encodes a probable vesicular transporter in nerve terminals. TMEM163 variants also showed association with decreased fasting plasma insulin and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, indicating a plausible effect through impaired insulin secretion. The 2q21 region also harbors RAB3GAP1 and ACMSD; those are involved in neurologic disorders. Forty-nine of 56 previously reported signals showed consistency in direction with similar effect sizes in Indians and previous studies, and 25 of them were also associated (P , 0.05). Known loci and the newly identified 2q21 locus altogether explained 7.65% variance in the risk of T2D in Indians. Our study suggests that common susceptibility variants for T2D are largely the same across populations, but also reveals a population-specific locus and provides further insights into genetic architecture and etiology of T2D

Genome-wide meta-analysis uncovers novel loci influencing circulating leptin levels.

Leptin is an adipocyte-secreted hormone, the circulating levels of which correlate closely with overall adiposity. Although rare mutations in the leptin (LEP) gene are well known to cause leptin deficiency and severe obesity, no common loci regulating circulating leptin levels have been uncovered. Therefore, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of circulating leptin levels from 32,161 individuals and followed up loci reaching P<10(-6) in 19,979 additional individuals. We identify five loci robustly associated (P<5 × 10(-8)) with leptin levels in/near LEP, SLC32A1, GCKR, CCNL1 and FTO. Although the association of the FTO obesity locus with leptin levels is abolished by adjustment for BMI, associations of the four other loci are independent of adiposity. The GCKR locus was found associated with multiple metabolic traits in previous GWAS and the CCNL1 locus with birth weight. Knockdown experiments in mouse adipose tissue explants show convincing evidence for adipogenin, a regulator of adipocyte differentiation, as the novel causal gene in the SLC32A1 locus influencing leptin levels. Our findings provide novel insights into the regulation of leptin production by adipose tissue and open new avenues for examining the influence of variation in leptin levels on adiposity and metabolic health

Diploma in Agricultural and Animal Husbandry

Not AvailableSample survey statistician is generally faced with the problem as how he should make the best use of available information on some auxiliary variable which is highly correlated with the variable under study. Information on auxiliary variable could be made use of at three stages, viz, (I) for stratifying the sampling units (II) for selecting the sampling units and (III) at the estimation stage i.e., on using the information for ratio or regression method of estimation. The types of population which we generally come across in surveys for estimating the production or extent of cultivation of agricultural commodities generally follow a linear regression relationship on auxiliary character X which is such that the condition variance for a given value of X depends on X itself. It has been suggested (Rao, Hartley and Cochran) that the functional relationship between the conditional variance and X. Where X lies between 1and 2. In this thesis three sets of data horticulture crops have been examined with a view to finding out the goodness of fit of the above relationship. The examination of these data have revealed that the value of X lies between 1 to 2, so long as the sampling unit is fairly small like an orchard, However, when the sampling unit is taken as big as a village, the value is found to lie somewhere about 3. The main object of the present study was to find out that in the populations which follow the pattern as discussed above, whether the auxiliary information could be better made use of for stratifying the units in the population or for estimating the character under study through ratio or regression method of estimation. The study is carried out through Monte Carlo methods which envisage the simulation of populations which have the given pattern of above variance relationship for some reasonably fixed values of regression parameters and ten values of varying from 1.50 to 4.00. from each of the generated hypothetical populations consisting of 200 units, corresponding to a given value, 25 independent samples each of size 12units were selected. Each of these samples provided estimates of population total by using different methods of estimation along with the corresponding estimates of variances and gain in precision of the given method of estimation over simple mean estimator. A part from this, each of the generated populations also stratified into four equal strata and 25 samples each size 12 allocated equally to different strata were selected, with a view to comparing the stratified sample estimators with those based in ratio and regression methods of estimation. One estimate of the amount of bias in different parameters estimated through ratio and regression methods of estimation is provided by taking difference between the average value of estimates taken over 25 samples and the true value of the corresponding parameter. Similarly, the mean square of 25 samples values of the estimates of different parameters provides estimate of the true value of the variance of an estimate of a given parameter. The present study has revealed the following results. i. While comparing stratified sample estimator with ratio as well as regression estimator it has been found that for value of lamda between 1.50 to 3.00, use of auxiliary information for ratio as well as regression method of estimation will be more efficient as compared to its use for stratifying the units while for value of lamda between 3.00 to 4.00, the efficiency of stratification is more or less of the same order as that of ratio or regression method of estimation. ii. So far as the amount of bias in estimating the population total through ratio and regression estimators is concerned, the study has revealed that its value is appreciably small being less than 4 percent of the total for all values. However, it has been observed that the amount of bias in regression estimator is always less than that in ratio estimator for all values. iii. Comparing the performance of ratio and regression methods for estimating the population total, it has been found that the true variance as estimated by the mean square between the estimates of the total provided by 25 independent samples is consistently smaller in the case of ratio then that in the case of regression method of estimation. This in addition to the simplicity in the calculation suggests that ratio is superior to regression method of estimation for such populations as discussed in this thesis. iv. So far as estimate of variance of ratio and regression estimators is concerned, the study has revealed that the coefficient of variation in the estimate of variance varies from 23 percent to as much as 83 percent for values between 1.50 to 4.00. This fact suggests that precision of the existing variance estimator both in the case of ratio and regression methods is very poor. The similar conclusions have also been drawn for estimating the gain in precision of either ratio or regression estimator over simple mean estimator. v. While examining the difference between the variance obtained by using approximate formulas for evaluating the variance of population total through ratio and regression method of estimation and the corresponding true variance, it has been found that approximate formulas used for evaluating the variance of ratio estimator over evaluates the true variance for most of the values. The reverse is found to be true in the case of regression method of estimation. vi. For the population which have been generated in this thesis by taking the value of regression coefficient between Y and X equal to 30.00 and fixing the value of y in (7.1.1.) equal to 0.60, it has been found that the variance of ratio and regression estimators of the total is more or less doubled when the value of X is increased by 0.85. This fact suggests that although the present investigations have been carried out only for 10 values of X, yet one can infer the behavior of the variances of ratio and regression estimators for intermediate values of X also. vii. Efforts was also made to study the type of frequency distributions followed by estimates of parameters of population total and its variance based on stratified sample and ratio and regression methods of estimation. The investigation has revealed that in majority of cases, the frequency curves of various estimators were of Pearson Type I. However, in few cases the frequency curves were of Type IV and VI. On the basis of 25 samples, effort has also been made to estimate the parameters of these frequency distributions. It will be mentioned that the precision of these estimates is not very high, since the total sample size for estimating the parameters is very small i.e., 25 samples. However, these estimates do provide the basis for comparing various methods of using the auxiliary information.Not Availabl

Equilibrium, kinetics and thermodynamic parameters for adsorptive removal of dye Basic Blue 9 by ground nut shells and Eichhornia

Adsorption of dye Basic Blue 9 (BB9) was studied using ground nut shells charcoal (GNC), and Eichhornia charcoal (EC) as adsorbents. The characterization was done with FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Batch adsorption studies have been investigated by measuring the effect of pH, adsorbent dose, adsorbate concentration, contact time, temperature, and ionic strength. Adsorption of the dye increased with increase in contact time, temperature, amount of adsorbent and initial concentration. The kinetic experimental data were fitted to pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, intra-particle diffusion, Elovich model and Bangham’s model and corresponding constants were calculated and discussed. Pseudo-second order kinetics was found to describe the adsorption of dye BB9 on both the adsorbents and rate is mainly controlled by intra particle diffusion. A study of five isotherm models; Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, Dubinin and Radushkevich and generalized isotherms have been made and important thermodynamic parameters have been obtained. The adsorption of BB9 onto GNC and EC was spontaneous and endothermic as concluded from thermodynamic assays. Experimental results confirmed that dye BB9 can be successfully removed from the aqueous solutions economically and efficiently

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Workshop on Managing Agriculture in Changing Climate organized by CAZRI, Jodhpur.Not AvailableNot Availabl

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Not AvailableTechnical bulletin on Sewan grass (Lasiurus scindicus)Not Availabl

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