Correlation between solar neutrino flux and other solar phenomena

A study was made of the solar neutrino data with a tank of CC14 located 4800 mwe underground for the period 1970 to 83. These observations are on the production rates of Ar37 atoms via the reaction upsilon sub e + Cl37 yields Ar37 plus e(-) in the tank caused presumably by a flux of neutrinos from the Sun. The idea of possible time variations in the data shown is discussed and an attempt is made to correlate the variations to two other phenomena of solar origin-the sunspot number and the geomagnetic Ap index

GM crops and gender issues

Correspondence in the December issue by Jonathan Gressel not only states that gender issues in rural settings have not been adequately addressed with respect to weed control biotech but also asserts that such technology can increase the quality of life of rural women in developing countries. Improved weed control is a labor-saving technology that can result in less employment in a labor surplus rural economy. Often in rural areas, wage income is the main source of income and an important determinant of the quality of life, particularly where employment opportunities are generally limited. Apart from soil preparation, planting and weeding, harvesting is also 'femanual' work that can generate more employment if yields are higher. Biotech can enhance the quality of life of women but only if the technology is associated with overall generation of rural employment

An estimate of the structural parameters of the Large Magellanic Cloud using red clump stars

Aim: We used the red clump stars from the VI photometric data of the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE III) survey and from the Magellanic Cloud Photometric Survey (MCPS) to estimate the structural parameters of the LMC disk, such as the inclination, i and the position angle of the line of nodes (PAlon), ϕ. Method: The observed disk region is divided into sub-regions. The dereddened peak I magnitude of the red clump stars in each sub-region is used to obtain the relative distances and hence the z coordinate. The RA and Dec of each sub-region is converted into x and y cartesian coordinates. A weighted least-square plane-fitting method is applied to these x, y, z data to estimate the structural parameters of the LMC disk. Result: We find an inclination of i = 23°.0 ± 0°.8 and PAlon, ϕ = 163°.7 ± 15 for the LMC disk using the OGLE III data and an inclination of i = 37.4 ± 23 and PAlon ϕ = 141.2 ± 3.7 for the LMC disk using the MCPS data. Extra-planar features, which are in front as well as behind the fitted plane, are seen in both the data sets. Conclusions: Our estimates of the inclination and position angle of the line of nodes are comparable with some of the previous estimates. The effect of choice of center, reddening, and area covered on the estimated parameters are discussed. Regions in the northwest, southwest and southeast of the LMC disk are warped with respect to the fitted plane. We also identify a symmetric but off-centered warp in the inner LMC. We identify that the structure of the LMC disk inside the 3 degree radius is different from the outside disk in a way that the inner LMC has relatively less inclination and relatively large PAlon. The 3D plot of the LMC disk suggests an off-centered increase in the inclination for the northeastern regions, which might be due to tidal effects. We suggest that the variation in the planar parameters estimated by various authors as well as in this study is caused by the difference in coverage and the complicated inner structure of the LMC disk. In the inner LMC, the stellar and the HI disk are found to have similar properties

A Unified treatment of small and large- scale dynamos in helical turbulence

Helical turbulence is thought to provide the key to the generation of large-scale magnetic fields. Turbulence also generically leads to rapidly growing small-scale magnetic fields correlated on the turbulence scales. These two processes are usually studied separately. We give here a unified treatment of both processes, in the case of random fields, incorporating also a simple model non-linear drift. In the process we uncover an interesting plausible saturated state of the small-scale dynamo and a novel analogy between quantum mechanical (QM) tunneling and the generation of large scale fields. The steady state problem of the combined small/large scale dynamo, is mapped to a zero-energy, QM potential problem; but a potential which, for non-zero mean helicity, allows tunneling of bound states. A field generated by the small-scale dynamo, can 'tunnel' to produce large-scale correlations, which in steady state, correspond to a force-free 'mean' field.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, Physical Review Letters, in pres

Associations between adult attachment and vision-related quality of life in visually impaired individuals

PURPOSE An attachment theory framework approach may allow insight into how social and psychosocial factors interact to impact vision-related quality of life (QoL). In this pilot study, we investigated potential associations between adult attachment style and visual function QoL of visually impaired individuals. METHODS We recruited 38 visually impaired individuals (15 females, 23 males; 51.8 ± 16.0 years). Visual function measures included distance and near visual acuity (VA) and contrast sensitivity. All participants completed: the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 (NEI-VFQ 25) and the Experiences in Close Relationships–Relationships Structures questionnaire. RESULTS Presenting conditions included inherited retinal dystrophy (n = 10), nystagmus (n = 9), glaucoma (n = 7) and other eye conditions (n = 12). There was a statistically significant negative correlation between the NEI-VFQ-25 composite score (45.5 ± 14.7) and attachment-related anxiety (r = −0.352, p = 0.033). The latter correlation still held when controlling for participants’ level of vision (r = −0.352, p = 0.035). Despite the range of conditions and wide age range, these were not significantly correlated with any variable of interest in the current study. CONCLUSION Attachment-related anxiety ought to be taken into account when managing a visually impaired individual. Attachment-based approaches could be used to improve access to support services for visually impaired individuals, as well as self-management of their condition

Green processes in process metallurgy

Environmental pollution ultimately governs the economic or industrial growth rate of the world. Ideal green processes, both conceptual and feasible are discussed and the advantages and limitations are brought out. Typical examples of novel techniques developed to combat pollution are presented. An integrated approach coupling energy saving with pollution control measures appears to be the best strategy

On the spectrum of asymptotic slopes

The slopes of maximal subbundles of rank $s$ divided by the degree of the map under various pull backs form a bounded collection of numbers called the $s$-spectrum of the bundle. We study the supremum of the $s$-spectrum and determine it in terms of the Harder Narasimhan filtration of the bundle.Comment: To appea

New beta-Pyrochlore Oxide Superconductor CsOs2O6

The discovery of a new beta-pyrochlore oxide superconductor CsOs2O6 with Tc = 3.3 K is reported. It is the third superconductor in the family of beta-pyrochlore oxides, following KOs2O6 with Tc = 9.6 K and RbOs2O6 with Tc = 6.3 K. The Tc of this series decreases with increasing the ionic radius of alkaline metal ions, imposing negative chemical pressure upon the Os pyrochlore lattice.Comment: submitted to J. Phys. Soc Jp