Inelastic Neutron scattering in CeSi_{2-x}Ga_x ferromagnetic Kondo lattice compounds

Inelastic neutron scattering investigation on ferromagnetic Kondo lattice compounds belonging to CeSi_{2-x}Ga_{x}, x = 0.7, 1.0 and 1.3, system is reported. The thermal evolution of the quasielastic response shows that the Kondo interactions dominate over the RKKY interactions with increase in Ga concentration from 0.7 to 1.3. This is related to the increase in k-f hybridization with increasing Ga concentration. The high energy response indicates the ground state to be split by crystal field in all three compounds. Using the experimental results we have calculated the crystal field parameters in all three compounds studied here.Comment: 12 Pages Revtex, 2 eps figures

Wide variability in the ICRISAT germplasm collections as a source for genetic enhancement of crop cultivars

Sustained gains in plant breeding rely on variation in crop gene pool. Therefore, it is essential to conserve crops’ diversity in situ and ex situ. Globally over 7.4 million germplasm accessions have been conserved in about 1750 genebanks. The greater use of germplasm diversity in crop improvement programmes could potentially broaden genetic base of crop cultivars. The ICRISAT genebank conserves over 128,000 germplasm accessions of six mandate crops (sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, chickpea, groundnut, pigeonpea) and five small millets (foxtail millet, proso millet, barnyard millet, little millet and kodo millet). The collection is dominated with cultivated germplasm (97.7%) while wild and weedy relatives represent only 2.3%. Large variability was reported in the germplasm collections conserved at ICRISAT genebank, as revealed by characterization and evaluation of small subsets of total collection. However, large-scale evaluation to uncover hidden untapped potential is required to identify and introduce novel variability in to the crop improvement program

Nose profile morphology and accuracy study of nose profile estimation method in Scottish subadult and Indonesian adult populations

This study investigated nose profile morphology and its relationship to the skull in Scottish subadult and Indonesian adult populations, with the aim of improving the accuracy of forensic craniofacial reconstruction. Samples of 86 lateral head cephalograms from Dundee Dental School (mean age, 11.8 years) and 335 lateral head cephalograms from the Universitas Padjadjaran Dental Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia (mean age 24.2 years), were measured. The method of nose profile estimation based on skull morphology previously proposed by Rynn and colleagues in 2010 (FSMP 6:20–34) was tested in this study. Following this method, three nasal aperture-related craniometrics and six nose profile dimensions were measured from the cephalograms. To assess the accuracy of the method, six nose profile dimensions were estimated from the three craniometric parameters using the published method and then compared to the actual nose profile dimensions. In the Scottish subadult population, no sexual dimorphism was evident in the measured dimensions. In contrast, sexual dimorphism of the Indonesian adult population was evident in all craniometric and nose profile dimensions; notably, males exhibited statistically significant larger values than females. The published method by Rynn and colleagues (FSMP 6:20–34, 2010) performed better in the Scottish subadult population (mean difference of maximum, 2.35 mm) compared to the Indonesian adult population (mean difference of maximum, 5.42 mm in males and 4.89 mm in females). In addition, regression formulae were derived to estimate nose profile dimensions based on the craniometric measurements for the Indonesian adult population. The published method is not sufficiently accurate for use on the Indonesian population, so the derived method should be used. The accuracy of the published method by Rynn and colleagues (FSMP 6:20–34, 2010) was sufficiently reliable to be applied in Scottish subadult population

Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) and Fluid Flows

The micromachining technology that emerged in the late 1980s can provide micron-sized sensors and actuators. These micro transducers are able to be integrated with signal conditioning and processing circuitry to form micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) that can perform real-time distributed control. This capability opens up a new territory for flow control research. On the other hand, surface effects dominate the fluid flowing through these miniature mechanical devices because of the large surface-to-volume ratio in micron-scale configurations. We need to reexamine the surface forces in the momentum equation. Owing to their smallness, gas flows experience large Knudsen numbers, and therefore boundary conditions need to be modified. Besides being an enabling technology, MEMS also provide many challenges for fundamental flow-science research

Gray whale detection in satellite imagery using deep learning

The combination of very high resolution (VHR) satellite remote sensing imagery and deep learning via convolutional neural networks provides opportunities to improve global whale population surveys through increasing efficiency and spatial coverage. Many whale species are recovering from commercial whaling and face multiple anthropogenic threats. Regular, accurate population surveys are therefore of high importance for conservation efforts. In this study, a state-of-the-art object detection model (YOLOv5) was trained to detect gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) in VHR satellite images, using training data derived from satellite images spanning different sea states in a key breeding habitat, as well as aerial imagery collected by unoccupied aircraft systems. Varying combinations of aerial and satellite imagery were incorporated into the training set. Mean average precision, whale precision, and recall ranged from 0.823 to 0.922, 0.800 to 0.939, and 0.843 to 0.889, respectively, across eight experiments. The results imply that including aerial imagery in the training data did not substantially impact model performance, and therefore, expansion of representative satellite datasets should be prioritized. The accuracy of the results on real-world data, along with short training times, indicates the potential of using this method to automate whale detection for population surveys

Laparoscopic versus open left lateral segmentectomy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Laparoscopic liver surgery is becoming increasingly common. This cohort study was designed to directly compare perioperative outcomes of the left lateral segmentectomy via laparoscopic and open approach.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Between 2002 and 2006 43 left lateral segmentectomies were performed at King's College Hospital. Those excluded from analysis included previous liver resections, polycystic liver disease, liver cirrhosis and synchronous operations. Of 20 patients analysed, laparoscopic (n = 10) were compared with open left lateral segmentectomy (n = 10). Both groups had similar patient characteristics.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Morbidity rates were similar with no wound or chest infection in either group. The conversion rate was 10% (1/10). There was no difference in operating time between the groups (median time 220 minutes versus 179 minutes, p = 0.315). Surgical margins for all lesions were clear. Less postoperative opiate analgesics were required in the laparoscopic group (median 2 days versus 5 days, p = 0.005). The median postoperative in-hospital stay was less in the laparoscopic group (6 days vs 9 days, p = 0.005). There was no mortality.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Laparoscopic left lateral segmentectomy is safe and feasible. Laparoscopic patients may benefit from requiring less postoperative opiate analgesia and a shorter post-operative in-hospital stay.</p

Chronic Hepatitis B Finite Treatment: similar and different concerns with new drug classes

Chronic hepatitis B, a major cause of liver disease and cancer, affects over 250 million people worldwide. Currently there is no cure, only suppressive therapies. Efforts to develop finite curative HBV therapies are underway, consisting of combinations of multiple novel agents +/- nucleos(t)ide reverse transcriptase inhibitors. The HBV Forum convened a webinar in July 2021, and subsequent working group discussions to address how and when to stop finite therapy for demonstration of sustained off-treatment efficacy and safety responses. Participants included leading experts in academia, clinical practice, pharmaceutical companies, patient representatives and regulatory agencies. This Viewpoint outlines areas of consensus within our multi-stakeholder group for stopping finite therapies in chronic Hepatitis B investigational studies, including trial design, patient selection, outcomes, biomarkers, pre-defined stopping criteria, pre-defined retreatment criteria, duration of investigational therapies, and follow up after stopping therapy. Future research of unmet needs are discussed