Folk Elements in the Marutha Thinai Songs

In order to know the oral literary characteristics in Marutha thinai songs one must know the main characteristic features in oral. Plowing industry, planting industry, buffalo herding, ray cutting, fishing and other games such as paddy war, vallai song, silt removal, flower picking are the various kind of arts performed during the sangam period. The poets have recorded countless rituals, beliefs and customs in Marutha thinai songs. Through these songs one can know the culture, tradition and civilization of the ancient Tamil people. The article brings out the hidden folk elements in the Marutha thinai songs

Multiple Arterial Variations in the Right Upper Limb

During routine dissection, multiple arterial variations were seen in the right upper limb of a female cadaver. These arterial variations include: (1) the second part of axillary artery divided into medial and lateral trunks. (2) The lateral trunk coursed between the two roots of the median nerve; gave off subscapular, anterior and posterior circumflex humeral arteries and continued as profunda brachii artery. (3) The medial trunk continued as superficial brachial artery (SBA). (4) SBA coursed under the bicipital aponeurosis and terminated by diving into radial and common interosseous arteries at the cubital fossa. (5) The SBA gave off superficial ulnar artery (SUA) at the level of the interepicondylar line. (6) The SUA coursed superficial to the flexor muscles in the forearm and passed superficial to the flexor retinaculum to form incomplete superficial palmar arch (SPA) (7) The SPA gave off three common palmar digital arteries and a common trunk for radialis indicis and princeps pollicis arteries. It is important to rule out these variations before performing surgical and invasive procedures to avoid complications.Keywords: Axillary artery, superficial brachial artery, superficial ulnar artery, superficial palmar arc

A Novel Carbon Nanotube Field Effect Transistor based Arithmetic Computing Circuit for Low-power Analog Signal Processing Application

AbstractThere is a need to explore circuit application in new emerging technologies for their rapid commercialization as the CMOS technology is approaching its limits. Carbon Nanotube Field-Effect Transistor (CNFET) is a promising candidate for future electronic devices for low-power low-voltage digital or analog circuit application. In this paper, we presented a low-power, low- voltage CNFET operational amplifier (OPAMP) based analog arithmetic computing circuit such as inverting amplifier, non- inverting amplifier, summer, substractor, differentiator, and integrator for low-power analog signal processing application. The proposed computing circuits operation are studied by using HSPICE software for circuit simulation at 0.9V input supply voltage. Simulation results show that the proposed computing circuits well suited for low-power low-voltage analog signal processing application for their lower power consumption, and high speed operation

Evaluation of Two Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests Quality Assurance (mRDT’s QA) Methods in Peripheral Health Facilities, Rural Tanzania.

\ud WHO recommends confirming suspected malaria cases before initiation of treatment. Due to the imited availability of quality microscopy services, this recommendation has been followed with increased use of antigen-detecting malaria rapid diagnostic tests (mRDTs) in many malaria endemic countries. With the increased use of mRDTs, the need for a thorough mRDT quality assurance (RDT QA) method has become more apparent. One of the WHO recommendations for RDT QA is to monitor the tests in field use monthly, by comparing mRDT results to reference microscopy. This study was carried out to monitor mRDT performance in selected health facilities using two quality assurance methods; first based on ference microscopy and second based on detection of parasite DNA by real time quantitative PCR (qPCR) on dried blood spots (DBS); as well as assessing the cost and timeliness of the two QA methods. Blood samples were collected from patients undergoing a rapid test for malaria for two to three consecutive days per month, for five months, in 12 health facilities in Iringa rural and Mufindi districts. The health workers were instructed to label RDT cassettes, blood smear slides, and filter papers for DBS with matching unique ID stickers. A sticker was also placed in the log book where RDT results were recorded. Blood smears (BS) were first read at the district hospital (BS1) and then transported to Bagamoyo for a reference reading at the IHI- Bagamoyo laboratory (BS2). A third BS reader (BS3) was consulted from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in case of discordant results between BS1 and BS2. Molecular analysis involved extraction of parasite DNA from DBS samples using a QIAamp DNA Mini Kit. Sample DNA aliquots were compared against standard solutions with parasite DNA diluted 10-fold to give a parasitemia ranging from 200,000/μL to 20/μL. About 20% of the study DNA aliquots were sent to the CDC laboratory in Atlanta in order to validate qPCR results performed at the Bagamoyo laboratory. Data were entered in Microsoft Access (Microsoft Corporation, 2006) and analyzed in STATA 10 (StataCorp, Texas USA). Because of the known limitations of mRDTs to detect parasitemia below 200 parasites/μL, BS and PCR results greater than or equal to 5 parasites/200 WBC or 200 parasites/μL were considered positive in comparisons with mRDT performance. In the univariate analysis, proportions of positive tests were compared among the three types of tests: mRDT, microscopy and qPCR. Microscopy readings were categorized into 3 groups; BS1, BS2 and /or BS summary which is an average of BS1 and BS2. In case of discordant results between BS1 and BS2, a third reader- BS3 was consulted. Chi-squared test was done to assess differences in proportion of positive tests per district; whereas McNemar’s test was Malaria RDT QA Final Report, March 2012 5 used to assess the difference in test positivity by type of test. Kappa statistic was used to quantify the strength of the agreement between tests results. In addition, we examined health workers performance of the testing procedure when attending patients at a health facility, using a predefined checklist. Towards the end of the study, an evaluation of health worker acceptability was carried out to assess preferences between the two RDT QA methods. We received 2369 samples and 2324 (98%) had complete information. mRDTs had the highest positivity rate (6.5%). The proportion of positive tests by all types of tests was slightly higher in Iringa DC, but only qPCR and BS2 showed statistically significant differences in positivity rate between the two districts, where Iringa DC had more positive tests than Mufindi DC (p<0.05). When qPCR was a gold standard, mRDTs had higher sensitivity (68.6%, 95%CI: 55.0-79.7) than microscopy (53.7%, 95%CI: 38.7- 68.0) but highest mRDT sensitivity was achieved with comparison to microscopy (85.3%, 95%CI: 70.0- 93.6). All tests had higher inter-observer agreement than would be expected by chance. Substantial high inter-observer agreement (kappa =0.75; p<0.001) was seen amongst the microscopists i.e. district’s quality assurance officers and the reference microscopy readings. Assessment of the time needed to process BS at the district level revealed that, smears at district level took on average 8 days (min 2 to max 33) to be processed and provide feedback; but up to an average of 44 days (min 19 to max 98) to get a second reading. Many health workers were aware that the use of mRDTs was due to changes in treatment policy (11/30), and patients who qualify for the test are those suspected to have malaria. Majority (16/30) related assessment of control line as a measure of test accuracy and suggested the use of microscopy for quality control of mRDT results (15/30). Their major concerns were mRDTs’ inability to give parasite count, stock-out of the tests kits in their working areas and the frequency of negative results. This evaluation encountered several challenges, among them were 1. Poor quality of blood smears made at health facilities, especially dispensaries, which do not have laboratory services. 2. About 3.5% of BS1 slides could not be processed for BS2 because they were damaged during transportation and/or poor quality of smears. This accounts for the small difference in the numbers of BS assessed between two readers. 3. We were not able to prepare standard concentration solutions for qPCR analysis in the country. 4. Problems with PCR machine and inability to repair it that necessitated shipment of the machine, to and from, the manufacturers in Europe (Germany). Malaria RDT QA Final Report, March 2012 6 Due to these challenges, qPCR results were not available until after specimen collection had ended. In this study malaria positivity was higher with mRDTs than microscopy and qPCR for the 200 parasites/μL lower boundary of positivity threshold. This could either be due to the strict lower cut-off point for microscopy and qPCR parasite density or higher false positivity of mRDTs due to persistent antigen in blood, errors in mRDTs performance or other patient’s characteristics. When qPCR was taken as gold standard, mRDTs showed better sensitivity than microscopy, but when microscopy was regarded as a gold standard, mRDTs showed higher sensitivity than with qPCR. However, results of qPCR demonstrated a better correlation (inter-observer agreement) with those of microscopy than with mRDTs. The challenges of performing qPCR, as observed in this evaluation, make it unsuitable for quality assurance of mRDTs in routine care, Tanzania. The high inter-observer agreement between districts’ and reference microscopists (K=0.75) and higher tests performances of BS1 when BS2 was a comparator, demonstrates the competence shown by district’s technicians/ technologists to suffice their involvement as reference microscopists for quality assurance of mRDTs in their respective districts. This is also complimented by a fact that, both BS1 and BS2 had more similar performance when qPCR was taken as a gold standard. In this setting, a microscopy-based quality assurance system to assess mRDT performance in routine use may be a practical and suitable method. However, long distance transportation of smears should be avoided.\u

Hybrid posicast controller for a DC-DC buck converter

A new Posicast compensated hybrid controller for the DC-DC Buck converter is investigated. Posicast is a feed forward compensator, which eliminates the overshoot in the step response of a lightly damped system. However, the traditional method is sensitive to variations in natural frequency. The new method described here reduces this undesirable sensitivity by using Posicast within the feedback loop. Design of the Posicast function is independent of computational delay. The new controller results in a lower noise in the control signal, when compared to a conventional PID controller

Study on Fiscal Imbalance of Tamil Nadu, India

The study focused on Fiscal imbalance and its adverse effects on macroeconomic equilibrium in India have been receiving wide attention; the issue at States’ level has not so far been adequately analyzed. In many respects, fiscal situation in States is more critical than that at the Centre as States have the Constitutional responsibility for providing basic social and economic services, yet, do not have independent power to borrow from the market or the central bank. Given these constraints, the burden has tended to fall on capital and maintenance expenditures with adverse implications emphasizes the differences between fiscal sustainability analysis at the national and sub national levels, attempts to take into account uncertainty, and discusses the key components of the state’s fiscal accounts and how they respond to reforms and shocks. Risks to Tamil Nadu’s fiscal outlook include interest rate shocks, pressures on the primary balance, and contingent liabilities

First Photographic Record of Smooth-Coated Otters (Lutra Perspicillata Geoffroy 1826) in Vellar Estuary, Northeast Coast of Tamil Nadu, India

The presence of the smooth-coated otter (L. perspicillata) in the estuary of River Vellar has been confirmed by sighting and interview surveys. A family of smooth-coated otters was observed in a stream, hunting and eating fish from fishermen’s nets, resting and swimming around during the end of morning low tide. This is the first study that confirms the presence of otters here. The next closest known record is from Pichavaram which is about 6km south of the Vellar estuary. The family in the Vellar estuary consisted of ten otters; they were social, showing parental care. The report suggests the available rich biodiversity of the river which should come under conservation criteria

A new conversation on the existence of Hilfer fractional stochastic Volterra–Fredholm integro-differential inclusions via almost sectorial operators

The existence of Hilfer fractional stochastic Volterra–Fredholm integro-differential inclusions via almost sectorial operators is the topic of our paper. The researchers used fractional calculus, stochastic analysis theory, and Bohnenblust–Karlin’s fixed point theorem for multivalued maps to support their findings. To begin with, we must establish the existence of a mild solution. In addition, to show the principle, an application is presented