Two Dimensional Clustering of Gamma-Ray Bursts using durations and hardness

Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) have been conventionally bifurcated into two distinct categories: ``short'' and ``long'' with durations less than and greater than two seconds respectively. However, there is a lot of literature (although with conflicting results) regarding the existence of a third intermediate class. To investigate this issue, we extend a recent study (arXiv:1612.08235) on classification of GRBs to two dimensions by incorporating the GRB hardness in addition to the observed durations. We carry out this unified analysis on GRB datasets from four detectors, viz. BATSE, RHESSI, Swift (observed and intrinsic frame), and Fermi-GBM. We consider the duration and hardness features in log-scale for each of these datasets and determine the best-fit parameters using Gaussian Mixture Model. This is followed by information theoretic criterion (AIC and BIC) to determine if a three-component fit is favored compared to a two-component one or vice-versa. For BATSE, we find that both AIC and BIC show preference for three components with decisive significance. For Fermi and RHESSI, both AIC and BIC show preference for two components, although the significance is marginal from AIC, but decisive using BIC. For Swift dataset in both the observed and rest frame, we find that three components are favored according to AIC with decisive significance, and two are preferred with BIC with marginal to strong significance.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures. This is an extension of arXiv:1612.08235 to two-dimension

The Middle Stone Worship in Grammar Texts

In ancient times, there was a custom of worshiping the warriors as deities who died protecting the nation and race. To honour the heroism and sacrifice of the those warriors, they planted stones in their memory and worshiped them. The middle stones contain important historical information such as traditions, reign of kings, language, culture, war methods etc. These remain an indestructible repository even after thousands of years. The changes can be seen in the inscriptions of the Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas, and Nayakars. The practice of worshiping the stone deity has existed in ancient times as well as contemporaneous events and all this can be witnessed through middle stone inscriptions. Warriors who wanted to establish their fame in the impermanent world were willing to lose their impermanent bodies and lives in battle and gained what they thought was immortal fame. That in order to uphold the fame of the fallen hero, they erected a middle stone and worshiped it. The aim of this study is to examine the rituals and beliefs.This study has been carried out with the hypothesis that the Nadukal tradition mentioned by Tolkappiyar is consistent with the Nadukal traditions stated in other grammar books and the Sanga literary Nadukal tradition. Texts such as Tolkappiyam, Puraporul Venbamalai, Veerachozhiyam, Ilakkana Vilakkam, Saminatham etc. are the primary sources of the study. Grammatical texts are the supplementary sources. It can be known through the grammar texts that ancienty Tamil people praised Nadukal worship. The article concludes that the Nadukal worship methods are mentioned in the grammar texts that appeared after the Tolkappiya Nadukal tradition

Sea Trade in Sangam Literature

Literature is a mirror that captures the art, culture, history, life, environment, technology etc. In this way the Sangam literature captures the life, environment, love, heroism, politics and business of the people of that time. This article explains the maritime trade of Sanga Tamizhar and it reveals merchant character, Sangam period port scenery, commercial stations, Palandamizhar exports and imports through Sangam literature. The Sangam period is considered as the golden age of sea trade. It is known from Sangha literary songs that world famous ports were functioning in Chera, Chola and Pandyan countries. It is a well-known news that ancient Tamil people excelled in business. Especially they excelled in maritime trade. In the Sangam literature, Maduraikkanji and Pattinapalai are sources which provide more information about trade during the Sangam period. Tamil people traded across the sea to places like Unjai, Padali (Padalipuram), Kashi, Varanasi, Kalingapatnam and other countries such as Savagam (East Indies), Kaalagam (Burma), Kitaram (Kadaram), Takkola etc. Other nations who traded with Tamil period during the Sangam period were Arabs, Yavanas and Savakas. It can be known with the help of Sanga mliterature that the Chinese did not trade with the Tamil people during that period. Sangam literature mentions that jaggery and sugar made from sugarcane juice, alcohol, pepper, salt, vala (conch), cloth, pearls, wood species, sapphire, ivory (ivory) etc. were exported from Tamil Nadu to other countries during the Sangam period. This article highlights the sea trading of Sangam period

Impact of Watermelon bud necrosis virus (WBNV) infected plants on the volatile emission pattern in cowpea plants

Pathogens, including tospoviruses, are known to manipulate the behaviour of vectors after virus acquisition by plants to enhance virus transmission. Furthermore, as recently proven in the maize chlorotic mottle virus pathosystem, the vector's choice for virus-infected plants can change to a preference for noninfected plants after virus uptake by the vector. A similar trend was observed in the cowpea - Watermelon Bud Necrosis Virus (WBNV) - Thrips palmi (Karny) pathosystem. Similarly, in the no-choice bioassay, viruliferous T.palmi (carrying WBNV) settled preferentially more on healthy cowpea plants (56%) compared to virus-infected plants (47.3%), whereas non-viruliferous T.palmi settled preferentially more on WBNV infected (58.67%) cowpea plants compared to healthy plants (44%). The changes in preference of thrips towards host plants before and after virus acquisition may be due to the change of volatile cues. This study looked at the headspace volatile composition of healthy and WBNV-infected cowpea plants that attract thrips. Furthermore, the volatile analysis revealed that 1, 2-Propanediamine (0.62%) and Tuaminoheptane (0.55%) from healthy cowpea plants, as well as Tetradecane (0.35%) from WBNV-infected cowpea plants, both have a higher area percent than other volatiles. The amine (53%) and hydrocarbon (69%) groups of volatile organic compounds make up the majority of host volatiles found in healthy and virus-infected plants. The increased contact rates of viruliferous and non-viruliferous T.palmi towards healthy and WBNV-infected host plants could enhance virus transmission if thrips feed on them and acquire the pathogen prior to dispersal and the recorded host volatiles might be useful in vector management in future

Second Term Improvement to Generalised Linear Mixed Model Asymptotics

A recent article on generalised linear mixed model asymptotics, Jiang et al. (2022), derived the rates of convergence for the asymptotic variances of maximum likelihood estimators. If $m$ denotes the number of groups and $n$ is the average within-group sample size then the asymptotic variances have orders $m^{-1}$ and $(mn)^{-1}$, depending on the parameter. We extend this theory to provide explicit forms of the $(mn)^{-1}$ second terms of the asymptotically harder-to-estimate parameters. Improved accuracy of studentised confidence intervals is one consequence of our theory

SUNSCREENS: DEVELOPMENTS AND CHALLENGES

One of the major concerns affecting the human skin is the exposure to ultra-violet radiations (UVR) causing photo-damage and skin cancers. In order to provide preventive measures against such incidences, there is an increased demand for sun-protectants. Sun screening agents have shown beneficiary effects on the skin by reducing the exposure of UVR and its associated symptoms. Although various constituents have been recognized to have sun protecting activity, their safety and efficacy is still a concern. The United States Food and Drugs Administration (USFDA) and European Guidelines (EU) guidelines have made the sun protecting factor (SPF) and other such indices compulsory on the labels of such formulas to guide the consumers for better selection. The various ranges of radiations and skin types influence the mechanism of photoreaction and subsequent choice of the formulation. Apart from existing agents, certain novel sun-screening agents and technologies are now available to provide better protection to human populations

Evaluation of Change Factors for Web Service Change Management

AbstractService oriented architecture (SOA) is a smart designing principle which has been evolved for integrating business tasks. Business activities that have to be designed based on SOA are implemented via web services. Using web services (WS) one can exchange data between different applications and different platforms. Service providers register their services in the service registry and consumer obtains the required services from the same. The main concern in this routine which directly sways business growth rate is change management. Change management is an emerging issue in web service computing where clients might want to change the obtained services at some period of time. But in order to do it they should be requesting the provider programmers each and every time and separate payment has to be done for that task. In order to reduce this complexity we propose a new model for implementing change requests by business analysts themselves. Here we propose a new dynamic schema driven business logic model using Finite State Machine (FSM) to accomplish WS change management in a best manner so that business growth rate can be increased. This model is distinctively done for business analysts to perform changes in the services on their own instead of depending on the programmers. Furthermore a predictive model is contrived using cellular automata for supporting business analysts. The predictive model includes the change factors like order of execution; similarity measure, schema validation, and mapping function and time/space complexity which appears when a particular change request is executed

Multilevel Security System for Bank Locker

From the ancient time to present time human are constantly changing the world with its valuable knowledge and concise. But We are always concerned with the security of our relatives and of our valuable things like ornaments , vehicles , wealth etc. Banks are one of the most secured places to keep our valuable things but they lacks some serious security features hence leading to robbery. In this paper we tried our best to enhance the security of BANK LOCKERS through some embedded security technology as stated below: 1. The Main purpose of the system is used to design and implement a Bank locker with a Security System Based On Fingerprint Scanner [5], User Password,RFID[9] ,Temperature And IR Sensor which can be implemented in homes and offices as well apart from the Banks. 2. Only authentic and verified person can access his/her belongings from the Bank locker. 3. In case of any attempt to open the bank locker without proper clearance. The security system will blow the alarm bell or buzzer[9] at security monitoring places

Knowledge, attitude and practices of general practitioners about use of antiviral drugs in viral infections other than HIV

Background: Antiviral drugs for viral infections other than HIV are effective only for hepatitis, herpes and influenza. It has been observed that general practitioners (GPs) treat viral infections with antibiotics. The use of antibiotics in viral infections is not rational. Hence, authors conducted this study to assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of General Practitioners (GPs) about treatment of viral infections other than HIV.Methods: It was a descriptive, observational, cross- sectional study among 100 GPs in Southern Pune. A pretested questionnaire was used to assess their knowledge, attitude and practices about treatment of viral infections other than HIV. Prior informed written consent was taken from the GPs who were grouped under MBBS, BHMS and BAMS categories according to their qualifications. Correct answers among these groups were analysed using chi-square test, Spearman’s coefficient test and ANOVA.Results: The percentages of correct answers in the groups were comparable.56% GPs have poor knowledge of Influenza treatment.30-36% do not treat Herpes genitalis and zoster with antiviral drugs. Authors found that 44%, 30% and 28% of total GPs don’t have proper knowledge, attitude and practice respectively about common viral infections other than HIV and antiviral drugs.Conclusions: GPs are significantly unaware about rational use of antiviral drugs. They have poor knowledge about management of influenza