Preservation of Otolithus argenteus at low temperature

The studies provided data on the spoilage pattern of Otolithus argenteus during low temperature preservation. Changes in the total volatile bases, hypoxanthine, tyrosine, salt soluble nitrogen, non-protein nitrogen, pH, peroxide value, free fatty acids and thiobarbituric acid number along with organoleptic score have been reported. Organoleptically, fish stored at +20 degree C remained in acceptable condition upto 12 days while for those stored at 0 degree C in ice upto 19 days. Of the various indices tested Hypoxanthine, salt soluble nitrogen and total volatile bases nitrogen, in the order of merit can be used as freshness tests for refrigerated fish

Development and climate policy synergies: insights from global modelling studies

India's approach to climate policy is based on amplifying synergies between sustainable development ad climate outcomes, or co-benefits. However, the evidence base for the magnitude of these synergies remains limited. This brief summarizes the result of global models, which provide strong evidence of complementarities between climate mitigation outcomes, reduced air pollution and enhanced energy security. These results are robust across a wide range of models. They suggest there are considerable gains across multiple objectives of development policy from pursuing India's stated co-benefits approach to climate policy

India’s energy and emissions future: an interpretive analysis of model scenarios

As a significant emitter of greenhouse gases, but also as a developing country starting from a low emissions base, India is an important actor in global climate change mitigation. However, perceptions of India vary widely, from an energy-hungry climate deal-breaker to a forerunner of a low carbon future. Developing clarity on India's energy and emissions future is challenged by the uncertainties of India's development transitions, including its pathway through a demographic and urban transition within a rapidly changing policy context. Model-based scenario analyses provide widely varying projections, in part because they make differing assumptions, often implicit, about these transitions. To address the uncertainty in India's energy and emissions future, this Letter applies a novel interpretive approach to existing scenario studies. First, we make explicit the implied development, technology and policy assumptions underlying model-based analysis in order to cluster and interpret results. In a second step, we analyse India's current policy landscape and use that as a benchmark against which to judge scenario assumptions and results. Using this interpretive approach, we conclude that, based on current policies, a doubling of India's CO2 energy-related emissions from 2012 levels is a likely upper bound for its 2030 emissions and that this trajectory is consistent with meeting India's Paris emissions intensity pledge. Because of its low emissions starting point, even after a doubling, India's 2030 per capita emissions will be below today's global average and absolute emissions will be less than half of China's 2015 emissions from the same sources. The analysis of recent policy trends further suggests a lower than expected electricity demand and a faster than expected transition from coal to renewable electricity. The Letter concludes by making an argument for interpretive approaches as a necessary complement to scenario analysis, particularly in rapidly changing development contexts

Seed viability of pigeon pea stored in two environments.

Pigeonpea cv. ICP-1, -26, -2624, -6443 and -6997 were stored at 15-20 deg C and RH and compared with ambient room conditions at ICRISAT. After 4 yr in cool storage the viability of all cv. except ICP-6997 remained >92%. At room temp. ICP-6997 lost viability completely, ICP-2624 maintained 53% viability and ICP-26, -1 and -6443 germinated 44, 24 and 4%, resp. Plastic bottles were the best containers at ambient room temp. and in cool storage no difference was detected between them and paper and cloth bags. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission

Endometrial pathology in abnormal uterine bleeding

Background: Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is a common presenting symptom in gynecological outpatient department. Endometrial sampling could be used as the first diagnostic step in AUB. Aim of our study was to evaluate the endometrial causes of AUB and to observe the incidence of various pathology in different age groups.Methods: A study was conducted on 167 patients who presented with AUB, during the period from July 2015- January 2017.All endometrial curettage and hysterectomy specimens received in the Department of Pathology, Kannur Medical College during  this  period  were included.Results: Maximum numbers of patients were in the perimenopausal age group and normal cycling endometrium was the commonest pattern observed (41.3%).Abnormal patterns noted were hyperplasia without atypia (20.9%), disordered proliferative pattern (16.1%) and endometrial carcinoma (1.7%).Conclusion: Histopathological examination of endometrium showed wide spectrum of lesions from normal endometrium to malignancy. Accurate analysis of endometrial sampling is important in the management of AUB

Manual of seed handling in genebanks

This manual and its accompanying self-learning module provide detailed procedural guidlines and lessons for staff who do not have the opportinity to attend courses on seed conservation and genebank management. It focuses on seed handling procedures and does not cover documentation, collecting or characterization procedures in great detail. The manual discusses and presents some of the common procedures in handling seeds in genebanks. These steps include germplasm acquisition and registration; seed cleaning; seed moisture content determination and drying; seed quality testing which includes viability testing; health testing, and testing for inadvertent introduction of transgenes; seed packaging and storage; germplasm distribution; and the last one is germplasm monitoring and regeneration. At the end of the manual one finds annex on international policies and frameworks influencing access to and exchange of germplasm; serological methods for detecting plant pathogens; glossary; and specialized equipment for gene banks. And the module is a stand-alone self -learning tool organised into units and lessons and it is intended to be used in conjuction with the manual. Each lesson includes learning objectives, a description of procedures; learning checks to assess understanding, problem scenarios for applying learning to a pratctical situation and lesson summaries. In addition each lesson contains a glossary of commonly used genebank terms, references to further reading, and detailed photographs to illustrate the steps in seed-handling procedure

Impossibility of independence amplification in Kolmogorov complexity theory

The paper studies randomness extraction from sources with bounded independence and the issue of independence amplification of sources, using the framework of Kolmogorov complexity. The dependency of strings $x$ and $y$ is ${\rm dep}(x,y) = \max\{C(x) - C(x \mid y), C(y) - C(y\mid x)\}$, where $C(\cdot)$ denotes the Kolmogorov complexity. It is shown that there exists a computable Kolmogorov extractor $f$ such that, for any two $n$-bit strings with complexity $s(n)$ and dependency $\alpha(n)$, it outputs a string of length $s(n)$ with complexity $s(n)- \alpha(n)$ conditioned by any one of the input strings. It is proven that the above are the optimal parameters a Kolmogorov extractor can achieve. It is shown that independence amplification cannot be effectively realized. Specifically, if (after excluding a trivial case) there exist computable functions $f_1$ and $f_2$ such that ${\rm dep}(f_1(x,y), f_2(x,y)) \leq \beta(n)$ for all $n$-bit strings $x$ and $y$ with ${\rm dep}(x,y) \leq \alpha(n)$, then $\beta(n) \geq \alpha(n) - O(\log n)$

Solvent Extraction Studies of Gadolinium in Tri-Butyl Phosphate

AbstractFast reactor spent fuel reprocessing plants should be designed for inherent criticality safety due to high plutonium content. Addition of soluble neutron poison is one way to do that. Gadolinium is the best choice based on neutron absorption cross section and chemical compatibility. In this work, using classical thermodynamic approach, the distribution coefficient of gadolinium in tributyl phosphate has been calculated and compared with the experimental data. The influence of acidity and uranium at equilibrium on gadolinium distribution in tributyl phosphate has been investigated. The result establishes the feasibility of employing gadolinium as soluble neutron poison in fast fuel reprocessing

Sedimentation record in the Konkan-Kerala Basin: implications for the evolution of the Western Ghats and the Western Indian passive margin

The Konkan and Kerala Basins constitute a major depocentre for sediment from the onshore hinterland of Western India and as such provide a valuable record of the timing and magnitude of Cenozoic denudation along the continental margin. This paper presents an analysis of sedimentation in the Konkan-Kerala Basin, coupledwith a mass balance study, and numerical modelling of flexural responses to onshore denudational unloading and o¡shore sediment loading in order to test competing conceptual models for the development of high-elevation passive margins. The Konkan-Kerala Basin contains an estimated 109,000 km<sup>3</sup>; of Cenozoic clastic sediment, a volume difficult to reconcile with the denudation of a downwarped rift flank onshore, and more consistent with denudation of an elevated rift flank. We infer from modelling of the isostatic response of the lithosphere to sediment loading offshore and denudation onshore that flexure is an important component in the development of the Western Indian Margin.There is evidence for two major pulses in sedimentation: an early phase in the Palaeocene, and a second beginning in the Pliocene. The Palaeocene increase in sedimentation can be interpreted in terms of a denudational response to the rifting between India and the Seychelles, whereas the mechanism responsible for the Pliocene pulse is more enigmatic