The References of Environmental Preservation in Kautilya‟s Arthasastra

Environment and ecological crisis have been the hottest topics of debates for the last decades. The basic issues of today‟s environmental awareness for preservation and prevention of its degradation are discernible implicitly in a number of Sutras in Arthsastra, considered to have been written in 4th century B.C. by Kautilya. During the early 20th century Rabindranath Tagore dealt in detail with various aspects of environment in his various writings. Unlike the present day piecemeal and adhoc approach towards the issue ancient Indian environment consciousness was holistic in its approach and it sprang from the Upanishadic gospel „Vasudhaiva kutumbakam‟, i.e., all the beings of the entire universe belong to the one family. The various injunctions on land use, on do and don‟ts, penalties and punishments specified for violation of these, rewards and incentives for proper use etc. demonstrates the awareness developed at that time for the preservation of land as a resource. The nature of land has been given much importance in Arthsastra. The ideal Janpada is the one which was “devoid of mud, stones, salty ground, uneven land….endowed with agricultural land with protected pastures….with farmers devoted to work”. It was perceived that “cultivable land is better than mines because mines fill only treasury while agricultural production fills both the treasury and store houses”. Natural and man-made calamities can afflict population have been listed in Kautilya‟s Arthsastra. Kautilya‟s prescription for disaster management is worth noting, particularly the anticipation of disasters and prior preparation for preventing them as far as possible. First he classifies the disasters caused by nature. Natural calamities are considered as act of God, and prevention of these have been prescribed through worship, oblation and recitals of benediction. Kautilya also prescribes that everyone should be careful about preserving common property and bio-diversity. Otherwise he would be fined. The people are supposed to perform duties towards community living. “Every one shall contribute his share to the building of common facilities. No one shall obstruct or prevent the lawful use of such facilities by others in the neighbourhood

Surface Ocean Enstrophy, Kinetic Energy Fluxes and Spectra from Satellite Altimetry

Enstrophy, kinetic energy (KE) fluxes and spectra are estimated in different parts of the mid-latitudinal oceans via altimetry data. To begin with, using geostrophic currents derived from sea-surface height anomaly data provided by AVISO, we confirm the presence of a strong inverse flux of surface KE at scales larger than approximately 250 km. We then compute enstrophy fluxes to help develop a clearer picture of the underlying dynamics at smaller scales, i.e., 250 km to 100 km. Here, we observe a robust enstrophy cascading regime, wherein the enstrophy shows a large forward flux and the KE spectra follow an approximate $k^{-3.5}$ power-law. Given the rotational character of the flow, not only is this large scale inverse KE and smaller scale forward enstrophy transfer scenario consistent with expectations from idealized studies of three-dimensional rapidly-rotating and strongly-stratified turbulence, it also agrees with detailed analyses of spectra and fluxes in the upper level midlatitude troposphere. Decomposing the currents into components with greater and less than 100 day variability (referred to as seasonal and eddy, respectively), we find that, in addition to the eddy-eddy contribution, the seasonal-eddy and seasonal-seasonal fluxes play a significant role in the inverse (forward) flux of KE (enstrophy) at scales larger (smaller) than about 250 km. Taken together, we suspect, it is quite possible that, from about 250 km to 100 km, the altimeter is capturing the relatively steep portion of a surface oceanic counterpart of the upper tropospheric Nastrom-Gage spectrum.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

CORRELATION AND HEAT SUSCEPTIBILITY INDEX ANALYSIS FOR TERMINAL HEAT TOLERANCE IN BREAD WHEAT

Six generations namely, P1, P2, F2, F3, BC1s and BC2s (2006-07) and P1, P2, F3, F4, BC1ss and BC2ss (2007-08) developed from four parental genotypes viz. DBW 14 (heat tolerant), NP 846 (heat and drought tolerant), WH 147 and Raj 4014 (heat susceptible for late sown). All the six generations from four crosses were evaluated during Rabi 2006-07 and Rabi 2007-08 in a compact family block design with three replications on two sowing dates. Heat susceptibility index values revealed reduction in grain yield in both the years for all the generations of the four crosses. Significant estimates of correlation of grain yield with days to heading, days to anthesis and days to maturity were recorded in late sown condition during first year. While under timely sown condition spike length has high estimate correlation with grain yield in first year itself. Significant estimated were recorded for tillers per plant in both the environments in second year. Lowest yield loss was reported in backcross populations of Cross I in both years and among segregating populations of Cross IV observed to be least affected and therefore suggested to be forwarded to further generations and further selection of heat tolerant genotypes

A rare cause of kyphosis with low backache - “Scheuermann’s disease”: “Osteochondritis deformans juvenilis dorsi”

An uncommon case of Scheuermann’s disease (Apprentice’s spine) is being reported for two simple reasons- firstly, to show that it is a self-limiting disease which needs only proper observation, extension exercises & extension spinal brace and secondly, it becomes a diagnostic riddle when osteolytic lesion is seen in epiphyseal plates of adjacent vertebral bodies in an adolescent. Radiology and Imaging are needed for the early and accurate diagnosis and to differentiate it from other causes of kyphosis. Hence, it stressed the need to publish this condition not only for its rarity but also for its diagnostic puzzle to differentiate it from other conditions. Here we report a case of an adolescent male of 17 years with poor posture/slouching, fatigue, mild pain in lower thoracic area of spine (low backache), stiffness and loss of flexibility with radiological and MRI findings

Comparison of Auscultation Method Versus Lung Ultrasound Technique to Evaluate the Accuracy of Positioning of Left Double Lumen Tube in Patients Undergoing Cardiothoracic Surgery

Introduction: Cardiothoracic surgery is a complex and highly specialized medical field requiring precise surgical techniques and meticulous patient management. One critical aspect of this type of surgery is the accurate placement of the endobronchial double-lumen tube (DLT), which facilitates lung isolation and one-lung ventilation (OLV) during the procedure. Proper positioning of the DLT is essential to ensure adequate oxygenation, prevent complications, and optimize surgical access. Objective: This study aimed to compare the accuracy of positioning of the left DLT by the auscultation method versus the lung ultrasound technique in patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery in both supine and lateral positions. Material and methods: A prospective, observational, and cross-sectional study was conducted in a single group of 62 patients based on the eligibility criteria. After general anesthesia, a DLT was inserted and rotated until resistance. Placement was confirmed by auscultation, ultrasound, and fibreoptic bronchoscopy. The evaluation process was done initially in a supine position, followed by a lateral position. Results: After insertion of the left DLT, initially evaluated in the supine position, sensitivity and specificity for auscultation were found to be 65.2% and 37.5%, respectively, sensitivity and specificity for ultrasonography were 82.6% and 75%, respectively. The accuracy of lung ultrasound at 80.7% (69.2%-88.6%) was higher than the accuracy of auscultation at 58.1% (45.7%-69.5%). This was followed by evaluation in lateral position, where sensitivity and specificity for auscultation were found to be 76.1% and 25% respectively, sensitivity and specificity for ultrasonography were 95.7% and 62.5%, respectively. The accuracy of lung ultrasound at 87.1% (76.6%-93.3%) was higher than the accuracy of auscultation at 62.9% (50.5%- 73.8%). Conclusion: Lung ultrasound is a superior method for assessing lung isolation and determining Double Lumen Tube position as compared to auscultation

Polarization-Engineering in III-V Nitride Heterostructures: New Opportunities For Device Design

The role of spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization in III-V nitride heterostructure devices is discussed. Problems as well as opportunities in incorporating polarization in abrupt and graded heterojunctions composed of binary, ternary, and quaternary nitrides are outlined.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

Strain Sensitivity in the Nitrogen 1s NEXAFS Spectra of Gallium Nitride

The Nitrogen 1s near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) of gallium nitride (GaN) shows a strong natural linear dichroism that arises from its anisotropic wurtzite structure. An additional spectroscopic variation arises from lattice strain in epitaxially grown GaN thin films. This variation is directly proportional to the degree of strain for some spectroscopic features. This strain variation is interpreted with the aid of density functional theory calculations.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169433214015980 or Applied Surface Science 316, 232 (2014

Studies on pollen micro-morphology, pollen storage methods, and cross-compatibility among grape (Vitis spp.) genotypes

The knowledge of pollen morphology, suitable storage condition, and species compatibility is vital for a successful grapevine improvement programme. Ten grape genotypes from three different species, viz., Vitis vinifera L., Vitis parviflora Roxb., and Vitis champini Planc., were studied for their pollen structure and pollen storage with the objective of determining their utilization in grape rootstock improvement programs. Pollen morphology was examined through the use of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The viability of the pollen was assessed using 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC). In vitro pollen germination was investigated using the semi-solid medium with 10 % sucrose, 100 mg/L boric acid, and 300 mg/L calcium nitrate. The results revealed variations in pollen micro-morphology in 10 genotypes, with distinct pollen dimensions, shapes, and exine ornamentation. However, species-wise, no clear difference was found for these parameters. Pollen of V. parviflora Roxb. and Dogridge was acolporated and did not germinate. The remaining eight genotypes exhibited tricolporated pollen and showed satisfactory in vitro pollen germination. Storage temperature and duration interactions showed that, at room temperature, pollen of most of the grape genotypes can be stored for up to 1 day only with an acceptable pollen germination rate (>30 %). However, storage for up to 7 days was successfully achieved at 4 °C, except for ‘Pearl of Csaba’. The most effective storage conditions were found to be at −20 °C and −196 °C (in liquid N2), enabling pollen storage for a period of up to 30 days, and can be used for pollination to overcome the challenge of asynchronous flowering. Four interspecific combinations were studied for their compatibility, among which V. parviflora Roxb. × V. vinifera L. (Pusa Navrang) and V. parviflora Roxb. × V. champini Planc. (Salt Creek) showed high cross-compatibility, offering their potential use for grape rootstock breeding. However, V. parviflora Roxb. × V. vinifera L. (Male Hybrid) recorded the lowest compatibility index among studied crosses. In the case of self-pollinated flowers from V. parviflora Roxb. and V. parviflora Roxb. × V. champini Planc. (Dogridge), pollen failed to germinate on the stigma due to male sterility caused by acolporated pollen. As a result, the flowers of these genotypes functioned as females, which means they are ideal female parents for grape breeding without the need for the tedious process of emasculation