Weighted βγ\beta\gamma-summability of fuzzy functions of order θ\theta

The concept of weighted $\beta\gamma$ - summability of order $\theta$ in case of fuzzy functions is introduced and classified into ordinary and absolute sense. Several inclusion relations among the sets are investigated. Also we have found some suitable conditions to get its relation with the generalized statistical convergence. Finally we have proved a generalized version of Tauberian theorem

Parsec-scale structure of quasars: dawn of the golden age?

Half a century after their discovery, the study of quasars remains one of the most fascinating intellectual challenges in astronomy. Quasars are laboratories for everything from relativity to magnetohydrodynamics and are perhaps the best available probes for cosmology. A tremendous amount has been learned about quasars and yet many of the most fundamental questions about their physics remain open. Parsec-scale observations have played an indispensable role in building up our current understanding of quasars; virtually everything we know about quasars depends on such observations. However, the finest hour for parsec scale observations may be just beginning. This is partly due to the development of highly reliable VLBI networks (which is continuing) but mostly due to the unprecedented availability of multiepoch, simultaneous, broadband observations that have long been the `holy grail' for quasar researchers.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Bulletin of the Astronomical Society of India (20 pages, 3 figures

Evaluation of antimotility effect of Lantana camara L. var. acuelata constituents on neostigmine induced gastrointestinal transit in mice

BACKGROUND: Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae), a widely growing shrub which is toxic to some animal species, has been used in the traditional medicine for treating many ailments. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the antimotility effects of Lantana camara leaf constituents in mice intestine. METHODS: Evaluation of antimotility activity was done in intestine of mice treated with Lantana camara leaf powder, Lantana camara methanolic extract (LCME), lantadene A, neostigmine and neostigmine + LCME. Neostigmine was used as a promotility agent. Intestinal motility was assessed by charcoal meal test and gastrointestinal transit rate was expressed as the percentage of the distance traversed by the charcoal divided by the total length of the small intestine. The antidiarrheal effect of LCME was studied against castor oil induced diarrhea model in mice. RESULTS: The intestinal transit with LCME at a dose of 500 mg/kg was 26.46% whereas the higher dose (1 g/kg) completely inhibited the transit of charcoal in normal mice. The % intestinal transit in the neostigmine pretreated groups was 24 and 11 at the same doses respectively. When the plant extracts at 125 and 250 mg/kg doses were administered intraperitonealy, there was significant reduction in fecal output compared with castor oil treated mice. At higher doses (500 and 1000 mg/kg), the fecal output was almost completely stopped. CONCLUSION: The remarkable antimotility effect of Lantana camara methanolic extract against neostigmine as promotility agent points towards an anticholinergic effect due to Lantana camara constituents and attests to its possible utility in secretory and functional diarrheas and other gastrointestinal disorders. This effect was further confirmed by significant inhibition of castor oil induced diarrhea in mice by various doses of LCME

ACO for continuous function optimization: a performance analysis

The performance of the meta-heuristic algorithms often depends on their parameter settings. Appropriate tuning of the underlying parameters can drastically improve the performance of a meta-heuristic. The Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), a population based meta-heuristic algorithm inspired by the foraging behavior of the ants, is no different. Fundamentally, the ACO depends on the construction of new solutions, variable by variable basis using Gaussian sampling of the selected variables from an archive of solutions. A comprehensive performance analysis of the underlying parameters such as: selection strategy, distance measure metric and pheromone evaporation rate of the ACO suggests that the Roulette Wheel Selection strategy enhances the performance of the ACO due to its ability to provide non-uniformity and adequate diversity in the selection of a solution. On the other hand, the Squared Euclidean distance-measure metric offers better performance than other distance-measure metrics. It is observed from the analysis that the ACO is sensitive towards the evaporation rate. Experimental analysis between classical ACO and other meta-heuristic suggested that the performance of the well-tuned ACO surpasses its counterparts