Impact of photometric variability on age and mass determination of Young Stellar Objects: A case study on Orion Nebula Cluster

In case of pre-main sequence objects, the only way to determine age and mass is by fitting theoretical isochrones on color-magnitude (alternatively luminosity-temperature) diagrams. Since young stellar objects exhibit photometric variability over wide range in magnitude and colors, the age and mass determined by fitting isochrones is expected to be inaccurate, if not erroneous. These in turn will badly affect any study carried out on age spread and process of star formation. Since we have carried out very extensive photometric observations of the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC), we decided to use our multi-band data to explore the influence of variability in determining mass and age of cluster members. In this study, we get the amplitudes of the photometric variability in V, R, and I optical bands of a sample of 346 ONC members and use it to investigate how the variability affects the inferred masses and ages and if it alone can take account for the age spread among the ONC members reported by earlier studies. We find that members that show periodic and smooth photometric rotational modulation have their masses and ages unaffected by variability. On other hand, we found that members with periodic but very scattered photometric rotational modulation and members with irregular variability have their masses and ages significantly affected. Moreover, using Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagrams we find that the observed I band photometric variability can take account of only a fraction (about 50%) of the inferred age spread, whereas the V band photometric variability is large enough to mask any age spread.Comment: Accepted by MNRAS; 17 pages, 4 Tables, 15 Figure

An approach to managing the complexity of knowledge intensive business processes

Organisations face ever growing complexity in the business environment and use processes to deliver value in a stable, sustainable and controllable way. However complexity in the business environment is threatening the stability of processes and forcing their continuing evolution in ever shorter time cycles, which then creates significant management challenges. Addressing complexity requires a change in management thinking about processes.The research explores the nature of complexity, how businesses respond to it, and the consequent impact on process complexity. The research reviews the notion of complexity and its relevance to organisations, business processes and knowledge contexts. The research focuses on knowledge intensive firms, as these exhibit several of the features and allow early application of the approach suggested by this thesis. The research draws upon concepts from several fields including complexity and complex systems, business process management, and knowledge management.This thesis addresses the question: “How can organisations address the complexity of knowledge intensive business processes?” In answering the question the thesis argues the need to integrate multiple perspectives involved in managing such processes, proposes an approach to complex knowledge intensive business processes that reduces the management challenge, and argues the need to develop an agile shared knowledge context in support of the approach.This thesis develops a theoretical framework consisting of a set of hypotheses rooted in the literature, and then proposes an approach to addressing complex knowledge intensive business processes based upon these hypotheses. Then,through a series of QDS investigations and action research cycles, this thesis tests the hypotheses, further develops the approach and examines its application in different problem domains in multiple organisations. This thesis then discusses the process and the outcomes of applying the approach, identifies its limitations, assesses its contribution to knowledge and suggests directions for further research

Development of a scalable generic platform for adaptive optics real time control

The main objective of the present project is to explore the viability of an adaptive optics control system based exclusively on Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), making strong use of their parallel processing capability. In an Adaptive Optics (AO) system, the generation of the Deformable Mirror (DM) control voltages from the Wavefront Sensor (WFS) measurements is usually through the multiplication of the wavefront slopes with a predetermined reconstructor matrix. The ability to access several hundred hard multipliers and memories concurrently in an FPGA allows performance far beyond that of a modern CPU or GPU for tasks with a well defined structure such as Adaptive Optics control. The target of the current project is to generate a signal for a real time wavefront correction, from the signals coming from a Wavefront Sensor, wherein the system would be flexible to accommodate all the current Wavefront Sensing techniques and also the different methods which are used for wavefront compensation. The system should also accommodate for different data transmission protocols (like Ethernet, USB, IEEE 1394 etc.) for transmitting data to and from the FPGA device, thus providing a more flexible platform for Adaptive Optics control. Preliminary simulation results for the formulation of the platform, and a design of a fully scalable slope computer is presented.Comment: Paper presented as part of SPIE ICOP 2015 Conference Proceeding

Assessment of executive functions in type II diabetes patients with focus on duration of diabetes: preliminary findings of an analytical cross-sectional study

Background: Executive functions have been defined as one’s ability to plan, initiate, sequence, monitor, and inhibit complex behaviour. Executive functions are purportedly affected significantly in diabetes population; duration of diabetes having particularly negative impact. Present study was undertaken to determine whether executive functions are affected more in diabetic patients as compared to non-diabetics and to further assess the role duration of diabetes. Methods: In this analytical, cross-sectional study being conducted over 18 months period at a tertiary-care private teaching hospital in Central India, 148 participants (74 in diabetic & 74 in non-diabetic group) between the age of 30-60 years are enrolled. Preliminary data of 50 patients is presented here. The executive functions were assessed by using Delis-Kaplan Executive function system and participants was subjected to Trail making test, Design fluency test, Tower test and DKEF sorting test and the scores were compared between the two groups. Results: Statistically significant differences were observed for Trail making test (median value diabetic-7 vs. non-diabetic-10), Design fluency test (median value diabetic-10 vs. non-diabetic-10, the range varied significantly), Tower test (median value diabetic-5 vs. non-diabetic-9), DKEF sorting test (median value diabetic-7 vs. non-diabetic-8) and Sort recognition test (median value- diabetic-6 vs. non-diabetic-8). The duration of diabetes exhibited strong, statistically significant negative correlation with the four studied parameters and had weak, insignificant positive correlation with sort recognition DS. Conclusions: Executive functions are significantly affected in adult diabetes patients as compared to non-diabetic population and duration of diabetes has major contributory role in this affection

BVR photometry of a newly identified RS CVn binary star HD 61396

BVR photometry of a recently identified RS CVn binary star HD61396, carried out during 2001, is presented. The new photometry reveal significant evolution in the shape and amplitude of light curve when compared with those reported earlier by Padmakar etal (2000). The traditional two-starspot model has been used to obtain the spot parameters from the observed light curve. Changes in the spot area and their location on the stellar surface are discernible from the extracted parameters from the new photometry.Comment: 9 pages including 2 figures and 2 tables. New Astronomy in pres

Knowledge & Attitude of Medical Students towards Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH)

Introduction: Amalgamation of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha& Homeopathy) with allopathy medicine is a practicable solution for scarcity of health care providers in India. In this regard Government of India has recently mainstreamed AYUSH in rural area by in cooperating it in National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). But the scope of this incorporation will be subjective to the acceptance of AYUSH by allopathic practitioners. Objective: To assess the knowledge and attitude of allopathic health care professionals (undergraduates, postgraduates and interns) towards AYUSH system of medicine. Material and Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in medical students of a college in Karnataka, India. Questionnaire was used and data was analyzed using SPSS 16.ver. Results: Out of 131 medical students 49% were males and 51% were females. Only 49.6% of them could expand AYUSH completely and 61% knew that AYUSH was included under NRHM. Attitude of the allopathic practitioners was positive towards AYUSH. 72.5% of them welcomed the Government move of mainstreaming AYUSH in primary health care delivery under NHM in rural areas. Conclusion: Majority of the medical students had positive attitude towards AYUSH and welcome the step of government to include them in NHM

Molecular Exploration of Guava (Psidium guajava L.) Genome Using SSR and RAPD Markers: A Step towards Establishing Linkage Map

In the present study, molecular evaluation of two guava mapping populations (MP), MPI comprising 94 F1 progenies and MPII comprising 46 F1 progenies, was carried out using simple sequence repeat (SSR) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. A pseudo-test cross strategy was implemented where 'Kamsari' X 'Purple Local' and 'Purple Local' X 'Allahabad Safeda' were crossed, and, these showed variation in fruit quality traits such as seedstrength (hardness/softness), fruit weight, TSS and pulp color. A set of 30 RAPD markers was used for genotyping MPI while a set of 55 SSR markers was used for genotyping MPII. In case of MPI, 30 RAPD markers generated 214 scorable markers, of which 80 markers were specific to 'Kamsari', 14 markers to 'Purple Local' and the remaining 120 were intercross markers. As for MPII, 55 polymorphic SSR markers resulted in generation of 207 alleles (with a maximum of 4 alleles and a minimum of 3 alleles per locus), of which 108 alleles were specific to 'Purple Local' while 99 were specific to 'Allahabad Safeda'. Genotypic data thus generated can be further exploited for constructing genetic linkage maps and mapping complex QTLs governing fruit quality traits in guava.