The interview as narrative ethnography : seeking and shaping connections in qualitative research.

Acts of counter-subjectification in qualitative research are always present but are often submerged in accounts that seek to locate the power of subjectification entirely with the researcher. This is particularly so when talking to people about sensitive issues. Based on an interview-based study of infertility and reproductive disruption among British Pakistanis in Northeast England, we explore how we, as researchers, sought and were drawn into various kinds of connections with the study participants; connections that were actively and performatively constructed through time. The three of us that conducted interviews are all female academics with Ph.Ds in anthropology, but thereafter our backgrounds, life stories and experiences diverge in ways that intersected with those of our informants in complex and shifting ways. We describe how these processes shaped the production of narrative accounts and consider some of the associated analytical and ethical implications

Efficacy of drugs in controlling microalbuminuria of diabetic nephropathy

Background: Beneficial effect in reducing microalbuminuria of diabetic nephropathy with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) is proven. This study has directly compared the renoprotective effects of ARB and ACE inhibitors in persons with type-2 diabetes.Methods: In this prospective, double-blind, controlled trial, 100 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were chosen and randomly assigned to either receive ACE inhibitor (ramipril 5 mg, 50 patients) or ARB (losartan 50 mg, 50 patients). The endpoint was a reduction in 24 hrs urine microalbuminuria after a period of 3 months treatment. Results: At the end of 3 months treatment, the mean reduction of 24 hrs urine microalbuminuria in the ramipril group was 25 mg as compared to 38 mg in the losartan group; (t value=1.11, p=0.27). There was no statistical difference in the mean reduction when compared between the two groups. Significant reduction of blood pressure especially systolic blood pressure was noted in the losartan group as compared to those who received ramipril.Conclusion: Losartan was not inferior to ramipril in providing renoprotection in subjects with type 2 diabetes and early nephropathy. Losartan showed a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure, though not much reduction was seen with ramipril. Despite this, both drugs have shown a reduction in microalbuminuria, which supports the fact that reduction in microalbuminuria is independent of the antihypertensive action of ramipril or losartan

Constraints on radiative decay of the 17-keV neutrino from COBE Measurements

It is shown that, for a nontrivial radiative decay channel of the 17-keV neutrino, the photons would distort the microwave background radiation through ionization of the universe. The constraint on the branching ratio of such decays from COBE measurements is found to be more stringent than that from other considerations. The limit on the branching ratio in terms of the Compton $y$ parameter is $B_\gamma < 1.5 \times 10^{-7} ({\tau_\nu \over 10^{11} sec})^{0.45} ({y \over 10^{-3}})^{1.11} h^{-1}$ for an $\Omega=1, \Omega_b=0.1$ universe.Comment: 7 pages. (figures will be sent on request) (To appear in Phys. Rev. D.

Fuselage shell and cavity response measurements on a DC-9 test section

A series of fuselage shell and cavity response measurements conducted on a DC-9 aircraft test section are described. The objectives of these measurements were to define the shell and cavity model characteristics of the fuselage, understand the structural-acoustic coupling characteristics of the fuselage, and measure the response of the fuselage to different types of acoustic and vibration excitation. The fuselage was excited with several combinations of acoustic and mechanical sources using interior and exterior loudspeakers and shakers, and the response to these inputs was measured with arrays of microphones and accelerometers. The data were analyzed to generate spatial plots of the shell acceleration and cabin acoustic pressure field, and corresponding acceleration and pressure wavenumber maps. Analysis and interpretation of the spatial plots and wavenumber maps provided the required information on modal characteristics, structural-acoustic coupling, and fuselage response

Study on rationality of different fixed dose drug combinations in tertiary care hospital: an evaluation study

Background: The fixed dose drug combinations (FDCs) of drugs is defined as product of two or more active ingredients in a defined composition. There is a need to study the pattern of prescription from time to time to evaluate their rationality. In this context we undertook this study to know the prescription pattern of FDC in our setting. To study the rationality of different prescribed FDCs.Methods: This is a prospective study which is carried out in NIMRA Institute of medical sciences which is a tertiary care teaching private hospital. For this study we have collected one thousand prescriptions of patients for 3 months that is from 10th March 2017 to 25th of June 2017 including both in-patients as well as outpatients. Selection criteria of patients mainly basing on their willingness to give prescriptions. Institutional ethical committee permission was taken for the study. The prescribed FDCs were compared with the essential drug list of FDCs approved by Drugs Controller General of India, July 2018.  we have used descriptive statistics to analyze data. The percentage of FDCs used in each class and their contribution to overall FDCs were calculated.Results: In a total of 2952 drugs were prescribed, of this 747 were FDCs and 2205 were non FDCs. In the prescribed FDCs 89.2% drugs were rational and 10.8% drugs were irrational.Conclusions: From this study, we can conclude that 10.8% of irrational prescription of fixed dose drug combinations are prescribed in Nimra Institute of Medical Sciences which is a tertiary care teaching private hospital

Design ideation through improvised comedy processes

We argue that the processes of creating successful comedy are comparable to the processes of designing an innovative product. Our research explores how constructs of humour may be applied to the early phase of engineering design, when divergent thinking is assumed to be most valuable. During a series of exploratory workshops, the principles and processes of creating improvised comedy presented an opportunity to reinvigorate the design process, and overcome some of the common barriers to effective group brainstorming. This paper discusses the link between improvised comedy and design creativity, and the early development of a new improvisation-based approach to design ideation

Pectocarya anisocarpa, a new species of Boraginaceae, and a revised key for the genus in western North America

Pectocarya is a genus of 13 currently accepted taxa in Boraginaceae, subtribe Cryptanthinae. The genus has an amphitropical distribution in the New World, with eight taxa in western North America, seven in South America, and two occurring in both continents. Members of Pectocarya are distinctive in having a bilaterally or radially symmetrical fruit of four strongly divergent nutlets. Taxa within the genus are distinguished largely by the morphology of the nutlets, including shape, size, margin, posture, and variability both within a fruit and/or within a plant. Pectocarya anisocarpa (Boraginaceae) was previously named and described, but not validly published. Along with taxon-specific nutlet ornamentation, P. “anisocarpa” has fruits within a plant that are monomorphic and nutlets within a fruit that are heteromorphic. It is common throughout its range, which in the United States includes the southern half of California, Arizona, and southern Utah to the east. The species’ southernmost extent is in northwestern Baja California, Mexico. It is often encountered in mixed populations with congeners, and has been confused historically with P. penicillata and P. linearis var. ferocula in California and Baja California and P. heterocarpa in Arizona and Utah. Here we validly publish the name P. anisocarpa, as well as provide illustrations, an image of the holotype specimen, and a range map of the new taxon. A revised taxonomic key and photographs of the fruits of the North American Pectocarya taxa are also included

UHB demonstrator interior noise control flight tests and analysis

The measurement and analysis of MD-UHB (McDonnell Douglas Ultra High Bypass) Demonstrator noise and vibration flight test data are described as they relate to passenger cabin noise. The analyses were done to investigate the interior noise characteristics of advanced turboprop aircraft with aft-mounted engines, and to study the effectiveness of selected noise control treatments in reducing passenger cabin noise. The UHB Demonstrator is an MD-80 test aircraft with the left JT8D engine replaced with a prototype UHB engine. For these tests, the UHB engine was a General Electric Unducted Fan, with either 8x8 or 10x8 counter-rotating propeller configurations. Interior noise level characteristics were studied for several altitudes and speeds, with emphasis on high altitude (35,000 ft), high speed (0.75 Mach) cruise conditions. The effectiveness of several noise control treatments was evaluated based on cabin noise measurements. The important airborne and structureborne transmission paths were identified for both tonal and broadband sources using the results of a sound intensity survey, exterior and interior noise and vibration data, and partial coherence analysis techniques. Estimates of the turbulent boundary layer pressure wavenumber-frequency spectrum were made, based on measured fuselage noise levels

Mode Spectroscopy and Level Coupling in Ballistic Electron Waveguides

A tunable quantum point contact with modes occupied in both transverse directions is studied by magnetotransport experiments. We use conductance quantization of the one-dimensional subbands as a tool to determine the mode spectrum. A magnetic field applied along the direction of the current flow couples the modes. This can be described by an extension of the Darwin-Fock model. Anticrossings are observed as a function of the magnetic field, but not for zero field or perpendicular field directions, indicating coupling of the subbands due to nonparabolicity in the electrical confinement.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure