Occultation of compact radio sources by the ion tail of Halley's Comet

Enhancements of scintillations of the compact radio sources PKS 2314+03 and 1827-360 were observed at 103 MHz and 408 MHz during 18-21 December 1985 and on 29 March 1986, respectively, when the plasma tail of Halley's Comet swept across them. At 103 MHz the RMS plasma density variation along the tail was 10 and 3.3/cu cm at 0.12 AU and 0.18 AU, respectively, as measured from the comet's position. At 408 MHz it was 1.9/cu cm at 0.036 AU. Comparison of results of these two sets of observations is presented

Traditionally Cultivated Salt Tolerant Rice Varieties Grown in Khazan Lands of Goa, India and Their Grain Quality Characteristics

The khazan lands (saline lands) have the potential for growing traditional rice varieties which are salt tolerant during rainy season without supplemental irrigation. In khazan land the rice varieties grown are limited, but specific traditional rice varieties like Korgut, Khochro and Assgo are grown predominantly. During this study, we have collected 10 traditionally cultivated rice varieties which grown in saline areas. These varieties were with unique morphological characteristics of shape, size and color. The physicochemical characteristics such as physical, chemical and cooking characteristics were studied. Among the varieties, the highest hulling (80%) was noted in varieties Muno, Shiedi and lowest in varieties Bello and Kalo Damgo (73%). The Length/Breadth (L/B) ratio ranged from 2.02-2.86. The lowest chalkiness was recorded in variety Kalo Novan (33.30%) and highest in variety Korgut (87.86%). Among the varieties studied, the amylose content (AC) ranged from 14.6-23.7% in variety Khochro and Kalo Novan respectively. The gel consistency was highest in traditionally cultivated rice variety Damgo (75.3 mm) and lowest in Khochro (34.6 mm). Kernel length after cooking (KLAC) ranged from 2.38-4.78 mm. The highest KLAC was recorded in Bello and minimum in variety Korgut. Kernel elongation ratio (ER) ranged from 1.03-1.66. The present investigation revealed that the traditionally cultivated rice varieties viz. Bello, Korgut, Khochro and Kalo Novan were with good grain quality characteristics. Key words: Grain quality, Khazan lands, Physico-chemical properties, Rice diversity Shilpa J. Bhonsle and S. Krishnan. Traditionally Cultivated Salt Tolerant Rice Varieties Grown in Khazan Lands of Goa, India and Their Grain Quality Characteristics. J Phytol 3/2 (2011) 11-1

Incidence of oral leucoplakias among 20,358 Indian villagers in a 7-year period.

A group of 20,358 villagers in two districts of India has been followed for 7 years to study the incidence of oral leucoplakia. The follow-up rate of the population in two districts ranged from 61% to 71%. In one of the districts (Bhavnagar) no new cases of leucoplakia were found among females in the 7-year period. Among males 105 cases developed (4-0/1000/year). The incidence was highest among hookli (clay pipe) smokers. In the Ernakulam district the incidence among males was 3-3/1000/year whereas among females it was 1-9/1000/year. The mixed habits group had the highest incidence of oral leucoplakias (7-2 and 9-9/1000/year among males and females respectively)

Multifrequency spectra of solar brightness temperature derived from eclipse observations

Changes in solar radio-brightness temperature were derived at 2.8,19.3 and 22.2 GHz from the observations of radio flux during the total eclipse of 1980 February 16. High-resolution MEM spectra of the brightness temperature fluctuations at the three frequencies showed periodicities ranging from 3.5 min to 128 min. Between 3.5 min and 14.6 min there are several periodicities of comparable significance common to the three operating frequencies. If the corresponding variations in brightness temperature are assumed to result from spatial variations in the solar radio emission, the observed periodicities imply scale sizes in the range 76000 km to 320000 km

Seismic Effects in F2 Region Related to Electron Temperature

The effect of earthquakes in the ionospheric F2 range was studied using the Indian satellite SROSS-C2 data on the cosmic electron temperature around the Indian sector in the ranges 0-34 ° N and 40-100 ° E for the period 1995-1997. Five episodes of earthquakes were analyzed and the observed anomalies at an average electron temperature were 29 to 10% higher than in the preceding days, and 16 to 4% higher than on days after the earthquake, and a latitudinal variation of this temperature. It is shown that the increase in this temperature was the maximum on the day preceding the earthquake, and for several hours before and after it. The anomalies observed around (in the ± 2-degree latitude range) were the epicenter of the earthquake. They were probably observed due to electromagnetic radiation during the earthquake activity. The period from 1995 to 1997 for this study was taken as a period of quiet geomagnetic conditions

Scalable fabrication of gap-plasmon-based dynamic and chromogenic nanostructures by capillary-interaction driven self-assembly of liquid-metal

Dynamically tunable nanoengineered structures for coloration show promising applications in sensing, displays, and communication. However, their potential challenge remains in having a scalable manufacturing process over large scales in tens of cm of area. For the first time, we report a novel approach for fabricating chromogenic nanostructures that respond to mechanical stimuli by utilizing the fluidic properties of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a substrate and the interfacial tension of liquid metal-based plasmonic nanoparticles. Relying on the PDMS tunable property and a physical deposition method, our approach is single-step, scalable, and does not rely on high carbon footprint lithographic processes. By tuning the oligomer content in PDMS, we show that varieties of structural colors covering a significant gamut in CIE coordinates are achieved. We develop a model which depicts the formation of Ga nanodroplets from the capillary interaction of oligomers in PDMS with Ga. We showcase the capabilities of our processing technique by presenting prototypes of reflective displays and sensors for monitoring body parts, smart bandages, and the capacity of the nanostructured film to map force in real time. These examples illustrate this technology's broad range of applications, such as large-area displays, devices for human-computer interactions, healthcare, and visual communication

Complementary bursts, coronal inhomogeneities and new microscopic spectral features of solar bursts in type IV bursts

Complementary bursts (C.B's) have been observed in the decametric range during noise storms and/or type IV activity. These bursts essentially consist of two components, each component having a duration ~ 1 second. The first component shows weak emission or emission gap over a certain frequency range. The second component is observed after a certain delay. If the bursts are assumed to be generated at the fundamental, and if the radiation corresponding to the gap propagates through an electron density irregularity located close to the source along the line of sight, whose cross-section is less than the linear extent of the source, then almost all properties of the C.B.'s can be explained. High sensitivity and high frequency and time resolution spectra of type IV bursts at 137 MHz revealed new microscopic spectral features displaying "wave- like" and "fork- like" shapes

Development and testing of a quantitative food frequency questionnaire for use in Gujarat, India

Objective: To develop and test a quantitative, interviewer-administered food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to ascertain nutrient intakes of individuals in northern India. Design: A 92-item FFQ was developed based on food use and market surveys of the study area. A validation study was conducted consisting of 24-h diet recalls (24HR) administered on 6 randomly selected days over 1 year. Two FFQs were administered, one each at the beginning and end of the 1-year period. FFQ and 24HR-derived nutrient scores were compared using correlation and regression analyses and by computing differences between nutrient intakes estimated by the two methods. Setting: Rural villages in Bhavnagar District, Gujarat, North India. Subjects: 60 individuals who agreed to provide all necessary data. Results: Pearson (parametric) correlation coefficients averaged 0.69 in comparing nutrient scores derived from the 24HR with those from the first FFQ and 0.72 in comparing the second FFQ (P \u3c 0.0001). Spearman correlation coefficients were virtually identical to the Pearson correlations, averaging 0.68 and 0.72, respectively. In regression analyses, most coefficients were close to 1.0 (perfect linear association). Nutrient scores were significantly and consistently higher on both FFQs relative to the 24HR. Conclusions: This FFQ produces results broadly comparable, and superior in some respects, to those commonly used in the West. Higher than average measures of association indicate its suitability for comparing exposures within this study population in reference to health-related endpoints

Proposal for creating a centre for research in solar-terrestrial physics as an interdepartmental activity during IHY at Shivaji University, Kolhapur (16.40°N, 74.15°E)

This note describes teaching and R & D activities presently being carried out in the solar-terrestrial Physics at the Space Science laboratory, Department of Physics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur. A variety of solar and geophysical ground based experiments are available, which can be operated on a regular basis during IHY, with financial help from the government funding agencies in India. The main purpose of this note is to briefly describe our experimental research facilities of relevance to IHY

Development and testing of a quantitative food frequency questionnaire for use in Kerala, India

Objective: To develop and test a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for use in rural areas of Kerala, India. Design: Based on food use and market surveys of the study area, a quantitative 81- item interviewer-administered FFQ was developed. A validation study was conducted consisting of 24-h diet recalls (24HR) administered on 8 days randomly selected over an entire year and two administrations of the FFQ, one at the beginning of the l-year period and the other at the end. FFQ and 24HR-derived nutrient scores were compared using correlation and regression analyses and by examining differences in the nutrient scores. Setting: Rural villages in Ernakulum district, Kerala, South India. Subjecrs: In each of 30 households, the male head of household and female food preparer were enrolled. Results: Pearson (parametric) correlation coefficients (Y,) averaged about 0.50 in comparing nutrient scores derived from the 24HR with those from the first FFQ and about 0.55 in comparing the second FFQ. On average, Spearman correlation coefficients (YJ were slightly lower than the Y, in comparing the scores derived from the first FFQ, but virtually identical for the second FFQ. Regression analyses indicated better agreement in the comparison of the 24HR-derived scores with the first FFQ than the second FFQ. Difference scores, however, tended to be larger in comparing the first FFQ scores with the 24HR. Conclusions: This FFQ produces results broadly comparable to those used in Europe and North America, indicating its suitability for comparing exposures within a study population in reference to health-related endpoints