Involving Nepali academics in health research

JMBTO SEE JHIn a world dominated by globalization and knowledge exchange conducting research and academic publishing has become increasingly important. In this light it is important to report the findings of research conducted in Nepal as it may be relevant and useful in North Korea as in Namibia. The editorial outlines some of the barriers and opportunities that exist for academics in Nepal

Bulk viscosity in hyperonic star and r-mode instability

We consider a rotating neutron star with the presence of hyperons in its core, using an equation of state in an effective chiral model within the relativistic mean field approximation. We calculate the hyperonic bulk viscosity coefficient due to nonleptonic weak interactions. By estimating the damping timescales of the dissipative processes, we investigate its role in the suppression of gravitationally driven instabilities in the $r$-mode. We observe that $r$-mode instability remains very much significant for hyperon core temperature of around $10^8$K, resulting in a comparatively larger instability window. We find that such instability can reduce the angular velocity of the rapidly rotating star considerably upto $\sim0.04 \Omega_K$, with $\Omega_K$ as the Keplerian angular velocity.Comment: 10 pages including 7 figure

Raman Signatures of Strong Kitaev Exchange Correlations in (Na1−x_{1-x}Lix_x)2_2IrO3_3 : Experiments and Theory

Inelastic light scattering studies on single crystals of (Na$_{1-x}$Li$_x$)$_2$IrO$_3$ ($x = 0, 0.05$ and $0.15$) show a polarization independent broad band at $\sim$~2750 cm$^{-1}$ with a large band-width $\sim 1800$~cm$^{-1}$. For Na$_2$IrO$_3$ the broad band is seen for temperatures $\leq 200$~K and persists inside the magnetically ordered state. For Li doped samples, the intensity of this mode increases, shifts to lower wave-numbers and persists to higher temperatures. Such a mode has recently been predicted (Knolle et.al.) as a signature of the Kitaev spin liquid. We assign the observation of the broad band to be a signature of strong Kitaev-exchange correlations. The fact that the broad band persists even inside the magnetically ordered state suggests that dynamically fluctuating moments survive even below $T_{N}$. This is further supported by our mean field calculations. The Raman response calculated in mean field theory shows that the broad band predicted for the spin liquid state survives in the magnetically ordered state near the zigzag-spin liquid phase boundary. A comparison with the theoretical model gives an estimate of the Kitaev exchange interaction parameter to be $J_K\approx 57$~meV.Comment: 14pages 4 figure

Adaptive traffic light cycle time controller using microcontrollers and crowdsource data of Google APIs for developing countries

Mishra, S., Bhattacharya, D., Gupta, A., & Singh, V. R. (2018). Adaptive traffic light cycle time controller using microcontrollers and crwodsource data of Google APIs for developing countries. In 3rd International Conference on Smart Data and Smart Cities (4/W7 ed., Vol. 4, pp. 83-90). (ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences). DOI: 10.5194/isprs-annals-IV-4-W7-83-2018Controlling of traffic signals optimally helps in avoiding traffic jams as vehicle volume density changes on temporally short and spatially small scales. Nowadays, due to embedded system development with the rising standards of computational technology, condense electronics boards as well as software packages, system can be developed for controlling cycle time in real time. At present, the traffic control systems in India lack intelligence and act as an open-loop control system, with no feedback or sensing network, due to the high costs involved. This paper aims to improve the traffic control system by integrating different technologies to provide intelligent feedback to the existing network with congestion status adapting to the changing traffic density patterns. The system presented in this paper aims to sense real-time traffic congestion around the traffic light using Google API crowdsource data and hence avoids infrastructure cost of sensors. Subsequently, it manipulates the signal timing by triggering and conveying information to the timer control system. Generic information processing and communication hardware system designed in this paper has been tested and found to be functional for a pilot run in real time. Both simulation and hardware trials show the transmission of required information with an average time delay of 1.2 seconds that is comparatively very small considering cycle time.publishersversionpublishe

AN OUTLINE OF VARIABLES IN PELLETIZATION BY EXTRUSION AND SPHERONIZATION

Pelletization is an agglomeration process which converts fine granules or powders of bulk drugs into small, free-flowing, spherical units, known as pellets. The pelletization can be achieved either through agitation, compaction (extrusion-spheronization), drug layering and globulation. Among the various pelletization techniques extrusion–spheronization process is preferred over other methods for the preparation of pellets as it allows the incorporation of the higher amount of drug, modified physical characteristics of the drug (density, sphericity, narrow size distribution, smoother surface) and multiple drugs can be easily combined in the same unit. This current review summarizes the findings or investigations by the researchers on various variables, including process parameters, equipment parameters and formulation parameters influencing the quality of pellets. The article also focuses on process optimization and additives used in pellets formulation. To prepare the current review search criterion used was the parameters affecting final pellet characterization in the extrusion spheronization process. The sources were peer-reviewed relevant scientific articles of recognized journals. Keywords used as filters were extrusion, spheronization, formulation parameters, process parameters, equipment parameters, moisture content, granulating liquid, drying rate, extrusion temperature, spheronizer load, pelletization. Literature survey has been done in a range of years (1992-2019) regarding the various variables of the extrusion spheronization process, which affects and has foremost impact on the final quality of pellets so as to make the review updated and comprehensive

Evaluation of Snow Parameters using Passive Microwave Remote Sensing

The study of snow characteristics using conventional techniques for vast, rugged andremote snow covered areas of Himalayas is very difficult. In the present study, the satellite dataof SSM/I sensor has been used. Changes in snow accumulation result in related variations inpassive microwave brightness temperature. This study attempts to develop new algorithms usingbrightness temperature for snow water equivalent (SWE) and snow depth that will suit theIndian Himalayan conditions. The snow and meteorological data recorded in the field is usedto determine the empirical coefficients, which have been further used in the algorithmdevelopment. The parameters evaluated can be used as the input for the avalanche risk analysis,as one can estimate average snow depth and SWE of the area which are main input for avalancheforecasting. Algorithms are further used for the prediction of snow depth and SWE for subsequentwinters using the brightness temperature. A good correlation was found between the predictedand the observed values from the ground observatory data

Chiral symmetry breaking, color superconductivity and color neutral quark matter: a variational approach

We investigate the vacuum realignment for chiral symmetry breaking and color superconductivity at finite density in Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model in a variational method. The treatment allows us to investigate simultaneous formation of condensates in quark antiquark as well as in diquark channels. The methodology involves an explicit construction of a variational ground state and minimisation of the thermodynamic potential. Color and electric charge neutrality conditions are imposed through introduction of appropriate chemical potentials. Color and flavor dependent condensate functions are determined through minimisation of the thermodynamic potential. The equation of state is calculated. Simultaneous existence of a mass gap and superconducting gap is seen in a small window of quark chemical potential within the model when charge neutrality conditions are not imposed. Enforcing color and electric charge neutrality conditions gives rise to existence of gapless superconducting modes depending upon the magnitude of the gap and the difference of the chemical potentials of the condensing quarks.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures,to appear in Phys. Rev.