Some studies in the chemistry of reactive intermediates

A number of reactions of tetrahalogenobenzynes have been investigated. The reactions of tetrafluorobenzyne with 2-methyl- and 2,5-dimethylfuran gave the expected Diels–Alder adducts (dihydro-tetrafluoroepoxinaphthalene derivatives) which on treatment with butadiene afforded 9-methyl- and 9,10-dimethyltetrahydrotetrafluoroanthracenes. Further reactions with tetrafluorobenzyne followed by dehydrogenation gave 9-methyl- and 9,10-dimethyloctafluorotriptycenes which were used to study new examples of long-range 19F–1H spin–spin coupling 1H NMR spectroscopy. [Continues.

Doctrinal Conflict in Foreign Investment Regulation in India: \u3ci\u3e​​NTT Docomo vs. Tata Sons\u3c/i\u3e and the Case for “Downside Protection”

The strategic importance of India as an investment destination for foreign investors is highlighted by ongoing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, and the recognition that a strong economic relationship with India is in the interest of countries seeking a more stable balance of power in the region. From a policy perspective, India has struggled to balance its own economic interests with the commercial requirements of investors. Rules attempting to strike this balance have created uncertainties that have resulted in investors seeking greater protections, which in turn have triggered additional regulatory responses. The prevalent use of put options by foreign investors, whereby Indian parties are required to buy out their counterparties at pre-determined prices, has been a prominent subject of these regulations. India’s judiciary has been drawn into this cycle through actions brought by foreign investors seeking to enforce arbitration awards validating their exit rights. In the process, they have created their own interpretation of the applicability of foreign investment rules that support principles of freedom of contract. This doctrinal conflict with regulatory policy is illustrated by a high-profile dispute involving one of Japan’s largest and most well-known companies, NTT Docomo, and one of India’s largest and most trusted companies, Tata Sons. Using, principally, the Docomo-Tata case as an example, and a review of other similar disputes, this paper analyses the regulatory and judicial doctrines that have shaped foreign investment regulation in India and explores the public policy implications of the conflict for India. In doing so, it proposes regulatory reforms to provide more clarity and certainty for investors, suggesting that express recognition of “downside protection” for investments provides a rational balance between private commercial interests and public regulatory objectives

Mapping of the Indian fisheries growth rate and fish consumption through GIS

In the present study, Indian fisheries growth rate and fish consumption have been analyzed through GIS mapping. The analyses were based on the state-level fisheries data of India collected from the secondary sources. Accordingly, the paper contains one thematic map containing two layers. To achieve this, all the data have been brought into a tabular form through Microsoft Excel and then joined to Map Info Professional Version 8.0 GIS software with digitized map oflndia for further analysis to generate thematic maps

Using simplified blood pressure tables to avoid underdiagnosing childhood hypertension

Background: Recent studies have revealed that hypertension remains underdiagnosed in a significant number of children despite their recorded office blood pressure (OBP) exceeding the recommended fourth report OBP thresholds. Simplified OBP thresholds have been proposed to reduce this underdiagnosis of hypertension in children. In clinical practice, OBP screened as elevated according to the fourth report OBP thresholds are referred for ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitoring to rule out \u27white coat\u27 hypertension. Objectives: The present study tested the usefulness of simplified OBP thresholds to screen abnormal OBP for ABP monitoring referral. Methods: A total of 155 subjects were retrospectively analyzed with paired OBP and ABP recordings obtained from an outpatient referral clinic. OBP recordings were classified as abnormal according to the simplified and fourth report OBP thresholds. ABP measurements were classified as abnormal according to the ABP reference tables. Results : Simplified blood pressure (BP) tables correctly identified all OBP classified as abnormal according to fourth report BP thresholds (kappa [κ] 0.72 [95% CI 0.61 to 0.83]) for systolic OBP; κ 0.92 [95% CI 0.86 to 0.99] for diastolic OBP). OBP classified as abnormal by the simplified BP thresholds and by the fourth report BP thresholds performed similarly for correctly identifying abnormal ABP measurements as per ABP references (overlapping 95% CIs of the sensitivity, specificity and predictive values and likelihood ratios). Conclusions: Simplified BP tables, proposed to reduce the underdiagnosis of hypertension in children, can serve as a useful screening tool to decide a referral for ABP monitoring. Future prospective studies are needed to establish these findings

Optimizing height measurement for the long-term forest experiments in Sweden

Information on tree height is useful for volume estimation and site productivity assessment and as such, remains one of the most important variables often measured in forest inventories. Measuring a sufficient number of sample trees requires considerable sampling effort and cost. In this study, we developed height functions for optimizing tree height measurement in the Swedish long-term forest experiments (LTFEs). Two large datasets from the LTFE databases: fitting data (from thinning, fertilisation and mixed species experiments) and validation data (tree species and spacing experiments) collected over several decades were used. The fitting and validation data comprise 133,788 and 68,440 observations, respectively, each covering a large range of growth and environmental conditions across Sweden. A multilevel nonlinear mixed-effects modelling approach was used to build the generalised height functions for Scots pine, Norway spruce, birch (Silver and Downy birch united), other conifers and other broadleaves, considering variations in heights and other stand characteristics at sample plot-level and revision-level. The response calibration of the functions was first carried out with all measured heights of the validation data, and second, using heights of one to six sample trees obtained from different tree selection strategies (diameter extremes, largest diameters, and smallest diameters). The mixed-effects height functions explained most of the height variations in the fitting dataset (pseudo R2: 0.938 - 0.970; RMSE: 0.957 - 1.363 m) without any residual trends. The validation showed that the functions accounted for 95 - 98 % of the height variation in the validation dataset, with RMSE ranging between 0.770 and 1.040 m, confirming the functions' high accuracy. We recommend the measurement of four sample tree heights based on diameter ex-tremes as the ideal threshold for response calibration. These functions and the suggested sampling technique would reduce sampling effort and inventory cost of height measurements for subsequent inventories of the LTFEs

Embedding GIS application into Geo-spatial mapping of shrimp farming in coastal states of India

In the age of information and technological advancements, location-awareness is becoming a key feature in management of natural resources. Geospatial mapping is a location based study and is a part of intelligence GIS which is expected to be a useful tool for fisheries scientists, aquatic resource managers and policy planners in developing countries

Multiwavelength study of a young open cluster NGC 7419

Using new UBVRI H αCCD photometric observations and the archival infrared and X-ray data, we have carried out a multiwavelength study of a Perseus arm young open star cluster NGC 7419. An age of 22.5 ± 3.0 Myr and a distance of 3230+330-430 pc are derived for the cluster. Our photometric data indicate a higher value of colour excess ratio E(U-B)/E(B-V) than the normal one. There is an evidence for mass segregation in this dynamically relaxed cluster and in the range 1.4-8.6 M⊚, the mass function slope is in agreement with the Salpeter value. Excess emissions in near-infrared and H α support the existence of a young (≤ 2 Myr) stellar population of Herbig Ae/Be stars (≥3.0 M⊚) indicating a second episode of star formation in the cluster region. Using XMM-Newton observations, we found several X-ray sources in the cluster region but none of the Herbig Ae/Be stars is detected in X-rays. We compare the distribution of upper limits for Herbig Ae/Be stars with the X-ray distribution functions of the T Tauri and the Herbig Ae/Be stars from previous studies, and found that the X-ray emission level of these Herbig Ae/Be stars is not more than LX~ 5.2 × 1030 ergs-1, which is not significantly higher than for the T Tauri stars. Therefore, X-ray emission from Herbig Ae/Be stars could be the result of either unresolved companion stars or a process similar to T Tauri stars. We report an extended X-ray emission from the cluster region NGC 7419, with a total X-ray luminosity estimate of ~1.8 × 1031 erg s-1 arcmin-2. If the extended emission is due to unresolved emission from the point sources then we estimate ~288 T Tauri stars in the cluster region each having X-ray luminosity ~1.0 × 1030 ergs-1. Investigation of dust attenuation and 12CO emission map of a square degree region around the cluster indicates the presence of a foreground dust cloud which is most likely associated with the local arm star-forming region (Sh2-154). This cloud harbours uniformly distributed pre-main-sequence stars (0.1-2.0 M⊚ ), with no obvious trend of their distribution with either (H-K) excess or AV. This suggests that the star formation in this cloud depend mostly upon the primordial fragmentation

Disorder driven structural and dielectric properties of silicon substituted strontium titanate

Financial support from NSF Grant No. NSF-RII-0701525 was acknowledged. S.D. is thankful to DOD for doctoral fellowship under Grant No. W911NF-11-1-0204. S.P.P. is grateful to NSF for financial assistance under Grant No: NSF-EFRI RESTOR # 1038272.A systematic study on structural, microstructural, optical, dielectric, and electrical properties of phase-pure silicon-modified SrTiO3 polycrystalline electroceramics synthesized using high energy solid state reaction techniques is presented. The asymmetry and splitting in the x-ray diffractometer spectra and the observation of first order transverse optical TO2 and longitudinal optical LO4 modes in Raman spectra (nominally forbidden) revealed the distortion in the cubic lattice as a result of breaking of inversion symmetry due to doping. A bandgap Eg of 3.27 eV was determined for the sample by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. A high dielectric constant of -400 and very low dielectric loss of -0.03 were obtained at 100 kHz near ambient conditions. The temperature dependence of the dielectric data displayed features of high temperature relaxor ferroelectric behavior as evidence of existence of polar nano-regions. The ac conductivity as a function of frequency showed features typical of universal dynamic response and obeyed a power law σac = σdc+Aωn . The temperature dependent dc conductivity followed an Arrhenius relation with activation energy of 123 meV in the 200–500 K temperature range. The linear dielectric response of Pt/SrSi0.03Ti0.97O3/Pt dielectric capacitors was well characterized. The measured leakage current was exceptionally low, 13 nA/cm2 at 8.7 kV/cm, revealing an interface blocked bulk conduction mechanism.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Impact of hematocriton the flow of casson fluid in contact with jeffery fluid over a narrow pipe

The flow of Casson fluid in contact with Jeffery fluid in a tube with a small diameter is concentrated in this paper. Casson fluid is considered in the central region and Jeffery fluid in the outer region. The governing equations are solved analytically and obtained expressions for velocity, flux, effective viscosity, central hematocrit, and mean hematocrit in dimensional form. The effect of many physical parameters on velocity, flux, effective viscosity, central hematocrit, and mean hematocrit is observed through graphs. Central hematocrit increases with an increase in yield stress and hematocrit and means hematocrit decreases with an increase in yield stress and hematocrit. The paper finds its applications in the flow of blood in narrow arteries, vines, and capillaries. The problem warrants further study on the flow of non-Newtonian two-fluid flows in a narrow tube