Effects of Temperature and Light on Aerial Breathing of the Longnose Gar, Lepisosteus Osseus

Author Institution: Department of Zoology, University of OklahomaSAKSENA, VISHNU P. Effects of temperature and Light on Aerial Breathing of the Longnose Gar, Lepisosteus osseus. Ohio J. Sci. 72(1): 58, 1975

Grey Model for Stream Flow Prediction

Abstract – Design, operation and planning of water resources, irrigation and water supply systems require estimation of stream flow. A grey system or stochastic approach is required for dealing with the hydrological complexities of mid and long-term stream flow prediction. Generally relatively long period data series of stream flow records is required for the prediction using stochastic methods. In developing countries like India, availability of long period hydrological records is a problem. Grey system theory is applicable in the case of unclear inner relationship, uncertain mechanisms and insufficient information and requires only small samples for parameter estimation. Stream flow records of Bharathapuzha river basin, Kerala, India is subjected to grey analysis. Model parameters were estimated using leastsquares method. Statistical indices for the developed models indicate their ability to predict stream flow in the river under study with reasonable accuracy

The effect of mother’s educational status on early initiation of breastfeeding: further analysis of three consecutive Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys

Background: The World Health Organization recommends initiating breastfeeding within the first hour of birth. This study is aimed at assessing the effect of the mother’s education on early initiation of breastfeeding. Methods: Data from the Nepal Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHS) 2001, 2006 and 2011 were used which included 12,845 last born children born within 5 years before the surveys. Early initiation of breastfeeding was defined as the initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour after birth. Hierarchical modelling was used to ascertain the association of maternal education and early initiation of breastfeeding, after controlling for other covariates in a multiple logistic regression. Results: Maternal education was associated with a higher likelihood of early initiation of breastfeeding in each survey. Pooled data analysis revealed higher odds of early initiation of breastfeeding among the mothers with primary education (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.24, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.09, 1.42) and secondary or higher education (OR: 1.63 95 % CI: 1.42, 1.88). In the most recent NDHS 2011 survey, odds of early initiation of breastfeeding was higher among mothers with primary education (OR: 1.52; 95 % CI: 1.21, 1.91) and mothers with secondary or higher education (OR: 2.20; 95 % CI: 1.76, 2.76) compared to mothers with no education. Similarly, the odds of early initiation of breastfeeding was higher among mothers with secondary and higher education in the 2006 data (OR: 1.66; 95 % CI: 1.30, 2.12) and in 2001 (OR = 1.30; 95 % CI: 1.00, 1.67).Conclusions: As the association between a mother ’ s educational status and her likelihood of early initiation of breastfeeding increases, long-term approaches to prioritising education for women and girls should be explored. In the short term, uneducated mothers should be targeted with breastfeeding promotion strategies such as counselling and peer education

Electrodeposition of Dicalcium Phosphate Dehydrate Coatings on Stainless Steel Substrates

Cathodic reduction of an aqueous solution containing dissolved calcium and phosphate ions results in the deposition of micrometer thick CaHPO4·2H2O (dicalcium phosphate dihydrate) coatings on stainless steel substrates. The coating obtained at a low deposition current (8 mA cm-2) comprises lath-like crystallites oriented along 020. The 020 crystal planes are non-polar and have a low surface energy. At a high deposition current (12 mA cm-2), platelets oriented along 12¯1 are deposited. CaHPO4·2H2O is an important precursor to the nucleation of hydroxyapatite, the inorganic component of bones. Differently oriented CaHPO4·2H2Ocoatings transform to hydroxyapatite with different kinetics, the transformation being more facile when the coating is oriented along 12¯1. These observations have implications for the development of electrodeposited biocompatible coatings for metal endoprostheses for medical applications

A Crystal Chemical Approach to a Cation-Ordered Structure Model for Carbonate-Intercalated Layered Double Hydroxides

Layered double hydroxides comprise a stacking of positively charged metal hydroxide layers with anions and water molecules included in the interlayer galleries. Among the anions, the carbonate ion is the most ubiquitous in both mineral and laboratory synthesized phases. Taylor (1973) suggested that the carbonate ion (molecular symmetry D3h) prefers a trigonal prismatic interlayer site (local symmetry D3h), whereby the hydrogen bonding with the metal hydroxide layer is maximized. However, the cation ordered structure models of hexagonal symmetry include interlayer sites which are exclusively trigonal antiprisms (local symmetry D3d). In keeping with Taylor’s criterion, a hexagonal stacking of metal hydroxide layers does not permit the inclusion of carbonate ions in the interlayer. In this work, a crystal chemical approach is adopted based on the translationgleiche subgroups of hexagonal and cubic summits to arrive at a structure model based on the space group C2/m. In this structure, not only is the 3-fold symmetry of metal coordination retained, but also interlayer sites of ∼D3h symmetry are generated to host the intercalated carbonate ions. Using this model, the structures of a cohort of carbonate-intercalated layered double hydroxides are refined

Synthesis, Structure Refinement and Chromate Sorption Characteristics of an Al-Rich Bayerite-Based Layered Double Hydroxide

“Imbibition” of Zn2+ ions into the cation vacancies of bayerite–Al(OH)3 and NO3- ions into the interlayer gallery yields an Al-rich layered double hydroxide with Al/Zn ratio ~3. NO3- ions are intercalated with their molecular planes inclined at an angle to the plane of the metal hydroxide slab and bonded to it by hydrogen bonds. Rietveld refinement of the structure shows that the monoclinic symmetry of the precursor bayerite is preserved in the product, showing that the imbibition is topochemical in nature. The nitrate ion is labile and is quantitatively replaced by CrO42- ions from solution. The uptake of CrO42- ions follows a Langmuir adsorption isotherm, thus showing that the hydroxide is a candidate material for green chemistry applications for the removal of CrO42- ions from waste water. Rietveld refinement of the structure of the hydroxide after CrO42- inclusion reveals that the CrO42- ion is intercalated with one of its 2-fold axes parallel to the b-crystallographic axis of the crystal, also the principal 2 axis of the monoclinic cell