Enabling Future Sustainability Transitions: An Urban Metabolism Approach to Los Angeles Pincetl et al. Enabling Future Sustainability Transitions

Summary: This synthesis article presents an overview of an urban metabolism (UM) approach using mixed methods and multiple sources of data for Los Angeles, California. We examine electric energy use in buildings and greenhouse gas emissions from electricity, and calculate embedded infrastructure life cycle effects, water use and solid waste streams in an attempt to better understand the urban flows and sinks in the Los Angeles region (city and county). This quantification is being conducted to help policy-makers better target energy conservation and efficiency programs, pinpoint best locations for distributed solar generation, and support the development of policies for greater environmental sustainability. It provides a framework to which many more UM flows can be added to create greater understanding of the study area's resource dependencies. Going forward, together with policy analysis, UM can help untangle the complex intertwined resource dependencies that cities must address as they attempt to increase their environmental sustainability

Applicability of Lotka’s Law in Parasitology research output of India

This paper examines the conformity of Lotka’s law to authorship distribution in the field of parasitology using Scopus during 2007-2016. Totally, 5792 articles produced by 3473 unique first authors, was compiled for analysis. Lotka’s law was tested using both generalized and modified forms by using the formula: , the values of the exponent n and the constant c were computed; and Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) and Chi-square tests were applied. The results showed that the Lotka’s law fit to the author productivity distribution pattern in parasitology literature

Lotka’s Law and Authorship distribution pattern in Global Synthetic Biology Literature

An attempt is made to examine the authorship distribution in Synthetic Biology (SB) literature and to validate Lotka\u27s law of author productivity. Authors obtained data for this study from the WOS database. A total of 12012 papers with 33151 unique authors has identified , and used for further analysis. Authors calculated the exponents n and c . Researchers employed Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test of goodness-of-fit to verify the validity of Lotka\u27s Law in SB literature. The results of this study proved that Lotka\u27s Law of author productivity does fit with SB literature based on the calculated values n = -2.45 and c= 0.74

Lanczos Spintensor via the Andersson-Edgar’s Generator

For arbitrary geometries with Petrov types O, N, III, and D (empty), we construct the Andersson-Edgar’s generator for the Lanczos spinor

Comparative prospective randomized open label trial of synbiotic (bifilac) as an add on therapy with standard treatment in patients with aphthous ulcer

Background: To trial the safety, efficacy and rapidity of response to a lozenges containing synbiotic in patients with minor aphthous ulcer.Methods: A total of 60 patients were enrolled for the trial after obtaining IEC approval and randomly allocated into two groups. Control “Group A” was administered with conventional treatment i.e., zytee and B complex for 2 weeks and trial “Group B” was administered with Bifilac along with conventional treatment for 2 weeks. The results of this trial were analyzed both subjectively and objectively.Results: Comparing with control group, where standard treatment was used with analgesics and B-complex, the trial group showed a quick relief of pain and helped in reducing mean size of ulcer.Conclusions: This trial was done with synbiotic lozenges in minor aphthous ulcers and it proved to be better alternative for them. Moreover, synbiotics have no adverse effects

The G-O Rule and Waldmeier Effect in the Variations of the Numbers of Large and Small Sunspot Groups

We have analysed the combined Greenwich and Solar Optical Observing Network (SOON) sunspot group data during the period of 1874-2011 and determined variations in the annual numbers (counts) of the small, large and big sunspot groups (these classifications are made on the basis of the maximum areas of the sunspot groups). We found that the amplitude of an even-numbered cycle of the number of large groups is smaller than that of its immediately following odd-numbered cycle. This is consistent with the well known Gnevyshev and Ohl rule or G-O rule of solar cycles, generally described by using the Zurich sunspot number (Rz). During cycles 12-21 the G-O rule holds good for the variation in the number of small groups also, but it is violated by cycle pair (22, 23) as in the case of Rz. This behaviour of the variations in the small groups is largely responsible for the anomalous behaviour of Rz in cycle pair (22, 23). It is also found that the amplitude of an odd-numbered cycle of the number of small groups is larger than that of its immediately following even-numbered cycle. This can be called as `reverse G-O rule'. In the case of the number of the big groups, both cycle pairs (12, 13) and (22, 23) violated the G-O rule. In many cycles the positions of the peaks of the small, large, and big groups are different and considerably differ with respect to the corresponding positions of the Rz peaks. In the case of cycle 23, the corresponding cycles of the small and large groups are largely symmetric/less asymmetric (Waldmeier effect is weak/absent) with their maxima taking place two years later than that of Rz. The corresponding cycle of the big groups is more asymmetric (strong Waldmeier effect) with its maximum epoch taking place at the same time as that of Rz.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, accepted by Solar Physic

Novel measurements of refractive index, density and mid-infrared integrated band strengths for solid O2, N2O and NO2: N2O4 mixtures

We present novel measurements of the refractive index, density and integrated band strengths of mid-infrared features of solid N2O at 16 K and of NO2 and N2O4 in two frozen NO2: N2O4 mixtures deposited at 16 and 60 K. The refractive index and density measurements were performed also for frozen O2 deposited at 16 K. In this case, the integrated band strength values could not be determined since O2 is a homonuclear molecule and therefore its fundamental mode is not infrared active. The solid samples were analysed by infrared spectroscopy in the 8000÷800 cm-1 range. The sample thickness was measured by the interference curve obtained using a He-Ne laser operating at 543 nm. The refractive index at this laser wavelength was obtained, by numerical methods, from the measured amplitude of the interference curve. The density values were obtained using the Lorentz-Lorenz relation. Integrated band strength values were then obtained by a linear fit of the integrated band intensities plotted versus column density values. The astrophysical relevance of these novel measurements is briefly discusse

Bipolar Magnetic Regions on the Sun: Global Analysis of the SOHO/MDI Data Set

The magnetic flux that is generated by dynamo inside the Sun emerges in the form of bipolar magnetic regions. We have analyzed the whole set of solar magnetograms obtained with the SOHO/MDI instrument in 1995-2011, and automatically identified 160,079 bipolar magnetic regions that span a range of scale sizes across nearly four orders of magnitude. Their properties have been statistically analyzed, in particular with respect to the polarity orientations of the bipolar regions, including their tilt angle distributions. The latitude variation of the average tilt angles (with respect to the E-W direction), known as Joy's law, is found to closely follow the relation 32.1*sin(latitude)[deg]. There is no indication of a dependence on region size that one may expect if the tilts were produced by the Coriolis force during the buoyant rise of flux loops from the tachocline region. A few percent of all regions have orientations that violate Hale's polarity law. We show examples, from different phases of the solar cycle, where well defined medium-size bipolar regions with opposite polarity orientations occur side by side in the same latitude zone. Such oppositely oriented large bipolar regions cannot be part of the same toroidal flux system, but different flux systems must coexist in the same latitude zones. These examples are incompatible with the paradigm of coherent, subsurface toroidal flux ropes as the source of sunspots, and instead show that fluctuations must play a major role at all scales for the turbulent dynamo. We see no observational support for a separation of scales or a division between a global and a local dynamo, since also the smallest scales in the data set retain a non-random component that significantly contributes to the accumulated emergence of a N-S dipole moment that leads to the replacement of the old global poloidal field with a new one that has the opposite orientation.Comment: 38 pages, 9 figures; to appear in the Astrophysical Journa