Crystallization of Simple Fluids: Relative Stability of f.c.c. and b.c.c Structures

A free-energy functional for a crystal that contains both the symmetry conserved and symmetry broken parts of the direct pair correlation function is developed. The free-energy functional is used to investigate the crystallization of fluids interacting via the inverse power potential ; $u(r)=\epsilon {(\sigma/r)}^n$. In agreement with simulation results we find that for $n=12$ the freezing is into close packed f.c.c structure while for soft repulsions $(n\leq 6)$ b.c.c phase is more stable.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

"It isn't just consultants that need a BSc": student experiences of an Intercalated BSc

More medical schools are moving towards a compulsory intercalated BSc. These courses have not traditionally been aimed at those students interested in general practice and have tended to have limited clinical relevance. This paper explores the perceptions of students who undertook a BSc in primary health care using qualitative methodology comprising semi-structured interviews with students just before completion of their course. Interviews were undertaken with 24 of the 26 students who started the course over a 4-year period. All the students have finished the course and have graduated with good honours degrees. Students refine existing skills and develop new, relevant skills for medicine. The students discussed the prestige (or lack) of a BSc in this field and how the course has impacted on their career decisions. A Primary Health Care BSc such as this appears to give students an in depth and to some, a positive view of general practice and primary care. The course allowed students to develop a more critical approach to medicine and enabled them to develop skills in addition to those acquired from their undergraduate medicine course. They perceived that these skills will serve them throughout their career in whatever branch of medicine they choose

A characterization of the central shell-focusing singularity in spherical gravitational collapse

We give a characterization of the central shell-focusing curvature singularity that can form in the spherical gravitational collapse of a bounded matter distribution obeying the dominant energy condition. This characterization is based on the limiting behaviour of the mass function in the neighbourhood of the singularity. Depending on the rate of growth of the mass as a function of the area radius R, the singularity may be either covered or naked. The singularity is naked if this growth rate is slower than R, covered if it is faster than R, and either naked or covered if the growth rate is same as R.Comment: 12 pages, Latex, significantly revised version, including change of title. Revised version to appear in Classical and Quantum Gravit

Exploring the Causes of Low Immunization Status in School Going Children

Background: Although a definitive immunization program has been advocated for children in our country, the immunization coverage is far from satisfactory. There is paucity of survey studies related to immunization pattern. Objective: This study has been undertaken to explore the social and attitudinal factors with parents resulting into adverse immunization. Material and Methods: The study was school based cross-sectional study conducted in 50 schools of Indore district selected by random sampling from three groups. Information was collected from parents by providing pre-tested questionnaire. Result: Association of parent’s literacy and socioeconomic status with successful immunization could be established. Overall coverage rate with vaccines was poor in school going girls as compared to the boys; proving thereby that gender discrimination exists putting girls in disadvantageous position. Conclusion: It can be expected that the immunization status of school children will improve if identified risk factors such as parental education, socioeconomic status, awareness status are improved and attitudinal gender discrimination is curbed