Domestic fish marketing in India - changing structure, conduct, performance and policies

This study has been conducted in all the major coastal states and some selected inland states to understand the domestic marketing of fish in India. The total marketing costs of auctioneer, wholesaler, retailer, vendor, marine fishermen cooperative society and contractor/freshwater fishermen cooperative society have been found to be Re 0.98, Rs 8.89, Rs 6.61, Rs 4.50, Rs 6.00 and Rs 3.51, respectively. The marketing efficiencies for Indian major carps (IMC), sardine and seer fish have been found to vary from 34 per cent to 74 per cent, depending on the length of market channel. The marketing efficiency has been found more in the case of marine species than freshwater species, since the latter travel longer distances from the point of production to consumption centre, passing many intermediaries as compared to the former. The fisherman’s share in consumer’s rupee has shown variations across species, marketing channels and markets. The infrastructure facilities at most of the surveyed landing centres, fishing harbours and wholesale and retail markets have been found grossly inadequate and poorly maintained. The study has highlighted the need for formulating a uniform market policy for fishes for easy operation and regulation so that the country’s fish production is efficiently managed and delivered to the consuming population, ensuring at the same time remunerative prices to the fishers.Marketing,

Decomposition of AGN host galaxy images

We describe an algorithm to decompose deep images of Active Galactic Nuclei into host galaxy and nuclear components. Currently supported are three galaxy models: A de-Vaucouleurs spheroidal, an exponential disc, and a two-component disc+bulge model. Key features of the method are: (semi-)analytic representation of a possibly spatially variable point-spread function; full two-dimensional convolution of the model galaxy using gradient-controlled adaptive subpixelling; multiple iteration scheme. The code is computationally efficient and versatile for a wide range of applications. The quantitative performance is measured by analysing simulated imaging data. We also present examples of the application of the method to small test samples of nearby Seyfert 1 galaxies and quasars at redshifts z < 0.35.Comment: 12 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Dolphin Echolocation Algorithm for Solving Optimal Reactive Power Dispatch Problem

This paper proposes Dolphin echolocation Algorithm (DEA) for solving the multi-objective reactive power dispatch problem. Echolocation is the genetic sonar used by dolphins and more than a few kinds of other animals for direction-finding and hunting in different environments. This aptitude of dolphins is mimicked in this paper to develop a new process for solving optimal reactive power dispatch problem. A detailed study has shown that meta-heuristic algorithms have certain overriding rules. These rules will facilitate to get enhanced results. Dolphin echolocation algorithm takes reward of these rules and outperforms many active optimization methods. The new approach DEA leads to outstanding results with little computational efforts. In order to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm, it has been tested on IEEE 30 bus system and compared to other specified algorithms. Simulation results show that DEA is superior to other algorithms in tumbling the real power loss and enhancing the voltage stability.

A Search for the Most Massive Galaxies. III. Global and Central Structure

We used the Advanced Camera for Surveys on board the Hubble Space Telescope to obtain high resolution i-band images of the centers of 23 single galaxies, which were selected because they have SDSS velocity dispersions larger than 350 km/s. The surface brightness profiles of the most luminous of these objects (M_i<-24) have well-resolved `cores' on scales of 150-1000 pc, and share similar properties to BCGs. The total luminosity of the galaxy is a better predictor of the core size than is the velocity dispersion. The correlations of luminosity and velocity dispersion with core size agree with those seen in previous studies of galaxy cores. Because of high velocity dispersions, our sample of galaxies can be expected to harbor the most massive black holes, and thus have large cores with large amounts of mass ejection. The mass-deficits inferred from core-Sersic fits to the surface-brightness profiles are approximately double the black-hole masses inferred from the M_bh-sigma relation and the same as those inferred from the M_bh-L relation. The less luminous galaxies (M_i>-23) tend to have steeper `power-law' inner profiles, higher-ellipticity, diskier isophotes, and bulge-to-total ratios of order 0.5 -- all of which suggest that they are `fast-rotators' and rotational motions could have contaminated the velocity dispersion estimate. There are obvious dust features within about 300 pc of the center in about 35% of the sample, predominantly in power-law rather than core galaxies.Comment: 27 Pages, 22 Figures, 2 Tables, Accepted for Publication in MNRA

Unusual Findings and Outcomes of Balloon Mitral Valvotomy

Balloon mitral valvotomy is a common procedure done for rheumatic mitral stenosis. However, certain cases may pose challenges and rarely may be life-threatening. Here, three unusual cases of balloon mitral valvotomy are presented. Case 1 had procedural challenge in terms of Interatrial Septal (IAS) fibrotic thickening and calcification, posing difficulty in trans-septal puncture and crossing IAS with valvotomy balloon. Case 2 had bidirectional Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) with a single dose of intravenous digoxin, and stress cardiomyopathy. Case 3 had difficulty in negotiating valvotomy balloon towards apex and in the process, there was left ventricular free wall perforation