A Circular Statistical Method for Extracting Rotation Measures

We propose a new method for the extraction of Rotation Measure from spectral polarization data. The method is based on maximum likelihood analysis and takes into account the circular nature of the polarization data. The method is unbiased and statistically more efficient than the standard $\chi^2$ procedure. We also find that the method is computationally much faster than the standard $\chi^2$ procedure if the number of data points are very large.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figure

Weichselian stratigraphy, geomorphology and glacial dynamics in southern Finnish Lapland

Quaternary stratigraphy and geomorphology were investigated by using aerial photo interpretation, digital elevation models and stratigraphical studies in southern Finnish Lapland. The development of glacial morphology was examined by reconstructing glacial flow patterns and subglacial conditions with emphasis on glacial dynamics. By comparing the climate history and available chronological data the ice-sheet development during the Weichselian was modelled in the area. Also, the Quaternary lithostratigraphy with descriptions, formalnames and type sections of the Peräpohja Group was proposed. Glacial morphology with clear indication of glacial flow directions represents two Weichselian glacial advances in the area of southern Finnish Lapland. The older, northwest-southeast oriented glacial movement was seen as a drumlin field and was preserved under a later cold-based ice sheet. A west-east oriented landform assemblage of ribbed moraines, drumlins and flutings mainly indicated the younger glacial phase. Of the age of ice sheet development during the Weichselian two alternative interpretations have been presented:In the first model, the first glacial advance occurred during the Early Weichselian and was followed by interstadial about 85–74 ka ago. The Middle and Late Weichselian glaciation was continuously covering southern Finnish Lapland after that. The second model includes a new interpretation, in which the first glacial advance that reached the area is connected to the beginning of the Middle Weichselian. Ice-free interstadial occurred about 50–30 ka ago before the Late Weichselian glacial advance, when the Weichselian maximum wasreached

Integrated management: chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension

The increasing burden of chronic kidney disease and end stage kidney failure presents a challenge for both developedand emerging countries. While dialysis and transplantation consumes an ever-increasing proportion of the health budgetin countries such as the United States, Japan and Taiwan, there is limited availability of these expensive therapies in themajority of emerging countries and more so in African nations.Aims: To review the prevalence, causes and integrated strategies for treatment and prevention of end stage renaldisease (ESRD) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).Materials and Methods: Review of literature and information received from colleagues in Africa.Results: Approximately 70% of the least developed countries of the world are in SSA. Rapid urbanisation is occurringin many parts of the continent, contributing to overcrowding and poverty. While infections and parasitic diseases arestill the leading cause of death in Africa, non-communicable diseases are coming to the forefront. There is a continuingbrain drain of healthcare workers (physicians and nurses) from Africa to more affluent regions, resulting in largerural areas of Africa having no health professionals to serve these populations. There are no nephrologists in manyparts of SSA; the numbers vary from 0.5 per million population (pmp) in Kenya to 0.6 pmp in Nigeria, 0.7 pmp inSudan and 1.1 pmp in South Africa.Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects mainly young adults aged 20-50 years in SSA and is primarily due to hypertensionand glomerular diseases. HIV-related chronic kidney disease is assuming increasing prominence and often presentslate, with patients requiring dialysis. Diabetes mellitus affects 9.4-million people in Africa. The prevalence of diabeticnephropathy is estimated to be 6-16% in SSA. The current dialysis treatment rate is <20pmp (and nil in many countriesof SSA), with in-centre haemodialysis the modality of renal replacement therapy (RRT) for the majority. Transplantationis carried out in a few SSA countries: South Africa, Sudan, Nigeria, Mauritius, Kenya, Ghana and Rwanda, with mostof the transplants being living donor transplants, except in South Africa where the majority are from deceased donors.Prevention programmes are in their infancy in most of SSA, due to lack of personnel and resources.Conclusion: Chronic kidney disease care is especially challenging in SSA, with large numbers of ESRD patients,inadequate facilities and funding, and lack of national or regional registries. Integrated management of CKD and itsrisk factors is necessary to impact on the burden of ESRD

Hardware and software integration and testing for the automation of bright-field microscopy for tuberculosis detection

Automated microscopy for the detection of tuberculosis (TB) in sputum smears would reduce the load on technicians, especially in countries with a high TB burden. This dissertation reports on the development and testing of an automated system built around a conventional microscope for the detection of TB in Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) stained sputum smears. Microscope auto-focusing, image analysis and stage movement were integrated. Images were captured at 40x magnification

IS THE RAINBOW AN ILLUSION? Educational Programmes and the Adivasi Peoples during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kerala, India

Just like any other field, education was drastically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic all over the world. In the state of Kerala, the Adivasi peoples were the most impacted peoples by the pandemic and its ramifications. The normalised underlying disparities were exacerbated with the crisis that emerged at the onset of the pandemic and exposed the social inequalities in place regarding the state’s marginalised sections including the Adivasi peoples. This research project focuses on this critical juncture, interrogating the diverse aspects pertinent to the current situation of Adivasi education. Against the backdrop of the pandemic, the project looks at the state’s programmes and policies on Adivasi education and seeks to generate a nuanced understanding of the problem

Novel Functions for Neuronal RNA Processing Bodies in the Control of Axon Terminal Growth in Drosophila Melanogaster

In this thesis we first characterized neuronal functions for HPat/Pat1, a core component of RNA processing bodies or P bodies . We show that hpat mutants exhibit a strong synaptic hyperplasia at the developing and acutely stimulated Drosophila larval neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). The synaptic defects observed in hpat mutants are associated with rearrangement of the axonal microtubule cytoskeleton suggesting that HPat negatively regulates presynaptic microtubule-based growth during NMJ development. Interestingly, we also found that both pre-and postsynaptic HPat expression controlled rapid axon terminal growth in response to acute spaced synaptic stimulation. We also demonstrate that HPat interacts genetically with the catalytic subunit of the deadenylase complex (twin/CCR4) and the miRNA pathway (Argonaute 1) to control bouton formation. We propose that HPat is required to target mRNAs involved in the control of microtubule architecture and synaptic terminal growth for repression, presumably in P bodies, via both general and miRNA-mediated mechanisms. Next, we investigated whether HPat interacts with the Drosophila Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (dFMR1), to regulate neuronal structure in a Drosophila melanogaster fragile X model. First, we demonstrated that HPat interacts biochemically with dFMRP in an RNAse independent manner. Second, we show that HPat genetically interacts with dFmr1 in the Drosophila eye although the phenotype is weak, however we did not see any interaction of hpat and dfmr1 to control synaptic structure at the NMJ. Finally, we screened additional P body components that might have function in FMRP mediated translation regulation. Interestingly, a luciferase-based translational repression tethering assays in Drosophila Schneider 2 (S2) cells showed the function of GW182 in FMRP-mediated translation regulation

Unravelling Societal Constructs and Feminine Agency: A Critical Analysis of Manju Kapur’s Difficult Daughters

Manju Kapur\u27s Difficult Daughters stands as a pivotal work in the realm of Indian English literature, delving into the intricate complexities of familial dynamics, societal norms, and individual agency against the backdrop of pre-partition Punjab. This research article aims to explore Kapur\u27s narrative through a critical lens, dissecting themes of tradition, rebellion, and the quest for identity within the context of a patriarchal society. By examining the characters\u27 struggles and triumphs, this study seeks to unravel the multifaceted layers of gender roles and societal expectations depicted in the novel. Through a combination of literary analysis and sociocultural critique, this research endeavors to shed light on the enduring relevance of "Difficult Daughters" in contemporary discourse on gender, tradition, and autonomy

Pengubahsuaian Kaedah Analisis Bagi Pironaridina Di Dalam Plasma Dan Perbandingan Formulasi Pironaridina Dalam Kajian Farmakokinetik

Pironaridina merupakan drug antimalaria yang berpotensi tinggi dalam rawatan malaria dan baru-baru ini ia menghasilkan keputusan yang menggalakkan di dalam cubaan klinikal yang dijalankan di Cameroon dan Thailand. Pyronaridine is a promising drug for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria and has been recently received encouraging results in clinical trials conducted in Cameroon and Thailand

On Fourier dimension and Salem sets

Abstract. Fourier dimension is connected to the decay of the Fourier transform of measures through energy integrals and is bounded by the Hausdorff dimension. Study of the applications of expressing energy integrals in terms of the Fourier transform and the Fourier series dates to the 1960s works of Kahane and Salem, and Carleson. The sets with equal Fourier and Hausdorff dimensions are called Salem sets, named after the Greek mathematician Raphaël Salem who first gave a construction of such sets in 1951. Fourier transforms of measures have applications in, for example, number theory, complex analysis, and operator theory. There are two main goals in this thesis. In Chapter 3, we introduce the Fourier dimension and prove some of its properties. Results regarding the additivity and stability of the Fourier dimension are considered, with comparison to the Hausdorff dimension. The second goal, and the bigger part of this thesis, is to introduce Salem sets which we do in Chapter 4. These include some deterministic sets, however, emphases will be put on probabilistic examples with a focus on the images of sets and measures under some random mappings. In Chapter 2, we go through the preliminaries including the notation, definitions, and the fundamental results used throughout this work. They concern measure theory, Fourier analysis, and probability theory, and can be found in most of the textbooks on the topics. More specific results are given as a part of the proof when required