Decoupling a Cooper-pair box to enhance the lifetime to 0.2 ms

We present a circuit QED experiment in which a separate transmission line is used to address a quasi-lumped element superconducting microwave resonator which is in turn coupled to an Al/AlO$_{x}$/Al Cooper-pair box (CPB) charge qubit. In our measurements we find a strong correlation between the measured lifetime of the CPB and the coupling between the qubit and the transmission line. By monitoring perturbations of the resonator's 5.44 GHz resonant frequency, we have measured the spectrum, lifetime ($T_{1}$), Rabi, and Ramsey oscillations of the CPB at the charge degeneracy point while the CPB was detuned by up to 2.5 GHz . We find a maximum lifetime of the CPB was $T_{1} = 200\ \mu$s for $f = 4$ to 4.5 GHz. Our measured $T_{1}$'s are consistent with loss due to coupling to the transmission line, spurious microwave circuit resonances, and a background decay rate on the order of $5\times 10^{3}$ s$^{-1}$ of unknown origin, implying that the loss tangent in the AlO$_{x}$ junction barrier must be less than about $4\times 10^{-8}$ at 4.5 GHz, about 4 orders of magnitude less than reported in larger area Al/AlO$_{x}$/Al tunnel junctions

Effect of vam fungi and applied phosphorus through stcr precision model on growth, yield and nutrient dynamics in maize in acid alfisol

The Inoculation of three VAM cultures viz. local culture (Glomus mosseae), VAM culture from IARI, New Delhi (Glomus mosseae) and a culture from The Energy Research Institute (TERI), New Delhi (Glomus Intraradices) alone or with increasing applied phosphorus levels from 25 to 75% of recommended P2OS based on soil test crop response (STCR) precision model improved the plant height, shoot and root dry matter accumulation, root length and root weight density as well as yield attributes of ralnfed maize in an acid alflsol of NW Himalayas. It was revealed that sole application of any of 3 VAM fungi did not have pronounced effect on phenologlcal stages though combined application of VAM cultures with increasing P levels from 25 to 75% of recommended P2O5 reduced the days to various phenologlcal stages, it was reported that sole application of these 3 VAM cultures improved the maize grain yield by 17.10 to 25.36% over control. Increase in P levels from 25 to 75% of recommended P2O5 besides VAM inoculation resulted in consistent and significant Improvement In grain, stover and biological yield of maize. 75% of recommended P2O5 alongwith VAM cultures achieved the goal of targeted yield (40 q ha"1) of maize, thus, saving the applied P to the tune of about 25% without Impairing the soil fertility in the present stud

Measurements of plasma temperature and electron density in laser-induced copper plasma by time-resolved spectroscopy of neutral atom and ion emissions

Plasma produced by a 355 nm pulsed Nd:YAG laser with a pulse duration of 6 ns focussed onto a copper solid sample in air at atmospheric pressure is studied spectroscopically. The temperature and electron density characterizing the plasma are measured by time-resolved spectroscopy of neutral atom and ion line emissions in the time window of 300-2000 ns. An echelle spectrograph coupled with a gated intensified charge coupled detector is used to record the plasma emissions. The temperature is obtained using the Boltzmann plot method and the electron density is determined using the Saha-Boltzmann equation method. Both parameters are studied as a function of delay time with respect to the onset of the laser pulse. The results are discussed. The time window where the plasma is optically thin and is also in local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE), necessary for the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis of samples, is deduced from the temporal evolution of the intensity ratio of two Cu I lines. It is found to be 700-1000 ns

Effect of vam fungi and applied phosphorus through stcr precision model on growth, yield and nutrient dynamics in maize in an acid alfisoil

The inoculation of three VAM cultures viz. local culture (Glomus mosseae), VAM culture from IARI, New Delhi (Glomus mosseae) and a culture from The Energy Research Institute (TERI), New Delhi (Glomus intraradices) alone or with increasing applied phosphorus levels from 25 to 75% of recommended P2O5 based on soil test crop response (STCR) precision model improved the plant height, shoot and root dry matter accumulation, root length and root weight density as well as yield attributes of rainfed maize in an acid alfisol of NW Himalayas. It was revealed that sole application of any of 3 VAM fungi did not have pronounced effect on phenological stages though combined application of VAM cultures with increasing P levels from 25 to 75% of recommended P2O5 reduced the days to various phenological stages. It was reported that sole application of these 3 VAM cultures improved the maize grain yield by 17.10 to 25.36% over control. Increase in P levels from 25 to 75% of recommended P2O5 besides VAM inoculation resulted in consistent and significant improvement in grain, stover and biological yield of maize. 75% of recommended P2O5 alongwith VAM cultures achieved the goal of targeted yield (40 q ha−1) of maize, thus, saving the applied P to the tune of about 25% without impairing the soil fertility in the present stud

"Does anyone even notice us?" COVID-19’s impact on academics’ well-being in a developing country

In March 2020, the President of South African announced that the nation would go into full lockdown in the wake of an increase in COVID-19 infections. Academics had, in some instances, only one day to prepare for “emergency remote teaching”. Few academics had taught online before, as South Africa’s internet connectivity is not guaranteed in underprivileged areas, where 80 per cent of the population reside. The online move thus necessitated an entirely novel pedagogy for most academics, with high potential for an escalation of work-related stress and related illness, outcomes we have related in the wider sphere of workplace readjustment during COVID-19, to a state of “pandemia”. In this article, we report on an institutional case study where we surveyed n=136 academics from a university in the Western Cape, South Africa to learn more about impacts of COVID-19 on their work. The data analysis adopts Ryff’s (1995) theory of well-being. Findings indicate that the enforced lockdown due to COVID-19 and the subsequent move to online teaching has had a negative impact on academics’ sense of well-being. However, the emergence of positive, caring relationships between colleagues is reported as a significant outcome of the COVID-19 enforced move to online teaching

Disaster scenario simulation of the 2010 cloudburst in Leh, Ladakh, India

Leh district in the Ladakh region of north-western India experienced a disaster when a cloudburst generated debris flows, killed hundreds of people, destroyed houses, and damaged the hospital, communication infrastructure, the bus station, and vital roads. A simulation of the Leh cloudburst disaster analysed the disaster itself, disaster risk reduction plans in the region, gaps in existing response mechanisms and reducing hazard impacts in the future. The participant group comprised academic researchers and industry experts in natural hazards, social vulnerability, engineering, historical and social sciences, education, journalism, disaster management and disaster risk reduction. Many of the participants had extensive local knowledge of Ladakh or comparable neighbouring Himalayan regions. Following the disaster, Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), produced a District Disaster Management Plan (DDMP), which addressed many of the gaps identified in the simulation. Most importantly, the document outlined a civil protection mechanism to respond to future hazardous events. This was utilised to assess future disaster response in the simulation scenario. From analysis of the scenario simulation, the role of the army was found to be key in minimizing the impact of the 2010 disaster, although in the future, the army may coordinate with the civil protection body as set out in the DDMP. Participants identified the lack of a local formalized civil protection plan as a major vulnerability, and the most vulnerable populations as the migrant communities. The group also discussed evidence of resilience among the population such as the role of monasteries and spirituality in psychological recovery and the impact of the initial local response. From broader discussion of the simulation scenario, it was possible to identify aspects of resilience for further study in a wider research project, such as identifying hazardous slopes from satellite mapping, informing the fieldwork program, designing social questionnaires to understand risk perception and formulating questions to guide focus-group discussions on community resilience

Spectroscopy of laser-produced plasmas: setting up of high-performance laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system

It is a well-known fact that laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has emerged as one of the best analytical techniques for multi-elemental compositional analysis of samples. We report assembling and optimization of LIBS set up using high resolution and broad-range echelle spectrograph coupled to an intensified charge coupled device (ICCD) to detect and quantify trace elements in environmental and clinical samples. Effects of variations of experimental parameters on spectroscopy signals of copper and brass are reported. Preliminary results of some plasma diagnostic calculations using recorded time-resolved optical emission signals are also reported for brass samples

Influence of Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Applied Phosphorus on Root Colonization in Wheat and Plant Nutrient Dynamics in a Phosphorus-Deficient Acid Alfisol of Western Himalayas

Vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi symbiosis confers benefits directly to the host plant's growth and yield through acquisition of phosphorus and other macro- and micronutrients, especially from phosphorus (P)–deficient acidic soils. The inoculation of three VAM cultures [viz., local culture (Glomus mosseae), VAM culture from Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi (Glomus mosseae), and a culture from the Centre for Mycorrhizal Research, Energy Research Institute (TERI), New Delhi (Glomus intraradices)] along with P fertilization in wheat in a P-deficient acidic alfisol improved the root colonization by 16–24% while grain and straw yields increased by 12.6–15.7% and 13.4–15.4%, respectively, over the control. Uptake of nitrogen (N), P, potassium (K), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) was also improved with VAM inoculation over control, but the magnitude of uptake was significantly greater only in the cases of P, Fe, Zn, and Cu. Inoculation of wheat with three VAM cultures in combination with increasing inorganic P application from 50% to 75% of the recommended P2O5 dose to wheat through the targeted yield concept following the soil-test crop response (STCR) precision model resulted in consistent and significant improvement in grain and straw yield, macronutrient (NPK) uptake, and micronutrient (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu) uptake in wheat though root colonization did not improve at P2O5 doses beyond 50% of the recommended dose. The VAM cultures alone or in combination with increasing P levels from 50% to 75% P2O5 dose resulted in reduction of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)–extractable micronutrient (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu) contents in P-deficient acidic soil over the control and initial fertility status, although micronutrient contents were relatively greater in VAM-supplied plots alone or in combination with 50% to 75% P2O5 dose over sole application of 100% P2O5 dose, thereby indicating the positive role of VAM in nutrient mobilization and nutrient dynamics in the soil–plant system. There was significant improvement in available N and P status in soil with VAM inoculation coupled with increasing P levels upto 75% P2O5 dose, although the greatest P buildup was obtained with sole application of 100% P2O5 dose. The TERI VAM culture (Glomus intraradices) showed its superiority over the other two cultures (Glomus mosseae) in terms of crop yield and nutrient uptake in wheat though the differences were nonsignificant among the VAM cultures alone or at each P level. Overall, it was inferred that use of VA-mycorrhizal fungi is beneficial under low soil P or in low input (nutrient)–intensive agroecosystems

Role of fine needle aspiration cytology in salivary glands lesions

Background: Fine needle aspiration cytology is an inexpensive, atraumatic technique for the diagnosis of disease sites. We describes how it useful to the management of tumours, avoid inappropriate operations and allowing surgeons to plan quickly and more rationally. It is an economically valuable technique. Aims: To evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis of Salivary glands lesions. Methods: During this study, 100 patients with Salivary glands lesions, of all ages and both gender were included. All patients were evaluated by history, clinical examination. F.N.A.C. and ultrasound were done in selected cases. All the smears were stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin stain and Giemsa stain. The preoperative cytological findings were correlated with the postoperative histopathological diagnosis. Results: FNAC diagnosis was benign in 49 cases (52.13%), and malignant in 7 cases (7.45%) of the cases. The diagnostic sensitivity was 66.66%, specificity was 100% and diagnostic accuracy was 86.36% respectively. No. of True Positive, True Negative, False Negative were 2, 17, 1 respectively and there was no any false positive result. Positive predictive value and Negative predictive value was 100% and 94.44% respectively. Conclusion: FNAC is a safe and effective modality in diagnosis and treatment planning of patients with Salivary glands lesions

Improving Phosphorus Use through Co-inoculation of Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria in Maize in an Acidic Alfisol

Performance of three vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi cultures and a phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) culture alone or in combination with or without 75% of the recommended P2O5 dose based on soil-test crop response model was examined in maize in a phosphorus (P)-deficient acidic Alfisol in a glasshouse pot experiment. Sole application of VAM besides co-inoculation with PSB (Pseudomonas striata) and inorganic P stimulated mycorrhizal root colonization. Sole application of PSB, VAMT (Glomus intraradices), and VAMI (Glomus mosseae) as well as co-inoculation of VAM with PSB significantly improved crop productivity besides grain protein content, thus indicating a synergistic interaction between VAM and PSB. Application of VAMT or VAMI + PSB + 75% P2O5 remained at par with sole application of 100% P2O5 dose with regard to productivity, nutrient uptake, and soil fertility status (particularly P), thus indicating economization of fertilizer P to the tune of about 25% without compromising crop productivity and soil fertility in an acidic Alfisol