Genetic behavior for kernal yield and its physio-agronomic attributes in maize at normal and high temperature regimes

Cell membrane thermostability and seedling plant biomass were used to select suitable parents for hybridization against high temperature stress from 77 inbred lines. Six diverse parents with respect to high temperature stress tolerance viz; two high temperature tolerant (935006, R2205-5-4), two moderately tolerant (F-165-2-4, F101-7-2-6) and two high temperature susceptible maize inbred lines (F113-1-1-1 and R2304-2) were selected and crossed in a full diallel fashion to evaluate inheritance pattern of physio-agronomic traits. Data regarding physiological traits viz., osmotic potential, transpiration rate, growing degree days (GDDs) to 50% tasseling and agronomic traits viz; number of kernels plant-1 and kernels yield plant-1recorded were at normal and high temperature stress regimes. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant variation (P < 0.01) for all the traits studied except osmotic potential at normal temperature regime which was significant at P < 0.05. Transpiration rate, growing degree days to 50% tasseling, number of kernels plant-1 and kernel yield plant-1 showed partial fitness of the data either at normal or higher temperature regime while osmotic potential showed partial fitness of the data by regression analysis in both temperature regimes. Genetic components of variance and Wr/Vr graph for traits studied depicted preponderance of over dominant gene action except osmotic potential at normal temperature regime which reflected additive gene control at normal temperature regime. High temperature stress modified gene expression in most of polygenic traits

犠牲金属支持構造を用いた石英ガラスマイクロ共振子の作製技術

要約のみTohoku University塚本貴城課

Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome presenting in a euthyroid adult with short stature

Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) is a distinct and rare clinical entity responsible for congenital hypopituitarism resulting in deficiency of pituitary hormones with deficiency of the growth hormone (100%) and gonadotropins (97.2%) being its most common presentation at the time of hospital encounter (Wang et al., 2015). Isolated sparing of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) with deficiency of the remaining anterior pituitary hormones may be present in PSIS, as is true in our case. Therefore, it should be kept in mind at the time of examination in suspected cases of PSIS

Offline handwritten signature identification using adaptive window positioning techniques

The paper presents to address this challenge, we have proposed the use of Adaptive Window Positioning technique which focuses on not just the meaning of the handwritten signature but also on the individuality of the writer. This innovative technique divides the handwritten signature into 13 small windows of size nxn(13x13).This size should be large enough to contain ample information about the style of the author and small enough to ensure a good identification performance.The process was tested with a GPDS data set containing 4870 signature samples from 90 different writers by comparing the robust features of the test signature with that of the user signature using an appropriate classifier. Experimental results reveal that adaptive window positioning technique proved to be the efficient and reliable method for accurate signature feature extraction for the identification of offline handwritten signatures.The contribution of this technique can be used to detect signatures signed under emotional duress.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, Offline Handwritten Signature, GPDS dataset, Verification, Identification, Adaptive window positionin

A STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF “THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINERâ€

If a specimen of literary art is seen as a fine tapestry of words made by the skilled seamstress—the poet, then the lexis and structure of a language are the raw materials—the fabric and the thread—by weaving which into specific patterns the finished product is achieved. The choice of materials and their arrangement into unique patterns always bear an image of their creator, or the artist; thus, a close view of them reveals the artist’s identity and brings out the meaningful message that underlies the ornate running threads. Mostly, the students of literary studies cannot appreciate the beauty of the literary classics on their own. Consequently, they simply mimic the ideas, and sometimes even the words, of famous professional critics when asked to give their own critical judgment on the aesthetic merit or the thematic quality of a literary work in the shape of a home assignment, classroom presentation or an annual assessment test. Now, the researcher has got the inspiration for carrying out this study from an idea expounded in Widdowson (1975) that this mimicry can be replaced by genuine individual opinion if the students, or even those people who have non-academic concerns with literature, are brought to a standpoint from where they can have a closer view of the raw materials, the language resources, which are involved in the making of a literary product. And, if the product in its finished form cannot elicit a desired response from them then making them sensitive to the process of its making can be quite effective in this regard. Through the present study, an attempt has been made to show an easy access to the outlandish world of verse by means of the linguistic route which is laid with the familiar flagstones of grammar and vocabulary. Meaning thereby that in this study the elusiveness of poetry will be dealt with the precision of a social scientist, the linguist. The approach which serves as the basis of this study is not an invention of the researcher; rather, it is a well-known twentieth century approach known as stylistics (Jeffries McIntyre, 2010, p. 30). Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s famous ballad, “The Rime of the Ancient Marinerâ€, being a widely read poem and bearing various stylistics features, offered itself as an ideal object for this study. The poet’s aesthetic message is explored by analyzing the finest details of his linguistic expression. And, careful considerations have been made throughout the study to prevent the overlooking of any instance of deviant linguistic units or recurring patterns for interpretation because such elements contribute largely to the meaning of any literary product. The study is descriptive in its nature therefore qualitative data has been integrated with and substantiated by the quantitative one.  Keywords: stylistics, literature, lexical, semantic and graphological deviation

Anterior Cervical Corpectomy with Cage Fixation for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy

Objective:&nbsp;&nbsp;This study aimed to report the clinical outcome of anterior cervical corpectomy with cage fixation in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Material and Methods:&nbsp;&nbsp;This observational retrospective study included 36 patients from the Neurosurgery department of Lady Ready Hospital MTI, Peshawar from 2014 January to 2015 December. After performing surgery, the patients were followed up for six months for neurological outcome and various post-operative complications such as infection, transient recurrent laryngeal palsy, screw displacement and improvements in paresthesias and gait ataxia. Results:&nbsp;&nbsp;Most of the patients have no post-operative complications. Seventy-five percent (n = 27) of patients reported an immediate improvement in paresthesia and fine hand movements and gait. The major reported complications were implant failure (5.55%) and recurrent laryngeal nerve transient palsy in two patients (5.55%) each. Conclusion:&nbsp;&nbsp;In patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy, with anterior compression, cervical corpectomy with cage fixation is less invasive and an effective procedure with acceptable outcomes

Daughters of Eve : violence against women in Pakistan

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2004.Includes bibliographical references (p. 120-121).The purpose of this study was to conduct extensive research on domestic violence against women in Pakistan and to present the results in a comprehensive document. Some of the issues investigated through fieldwork and covered here include the social and cultural reasons for violence against women, the ways in which the women are victimised, the extent of this violence and its implications for the victims and society at large. Emphasis was placed on the review of shortcoming of laws for protection of women. At the end, detailed recommendations were made for practical steps in which women can be given more legal protection, and society can be sensitised to the rights of women. It was found that some of the major reasons for violence against women include treatment of women as objects and property, legitimisation of cruel practices through tradition and misinterpretation of religion, and patriarchal nature of society that enables men to reinforce their social power through subjugation of women. While around 80% of Pakistani women are reported to face some form of domestic violence every year, horrific crimes such as honour killings, acid burnings and marital rape are also quite common. There are several absurd practices such as exchanging of women to settle tribal disputes and selling them to payoff debt, which depict the treatment of women as commodities. The violence against women goes unchecked because of an unjust legal system that leads to unfair settlements and custodial violence against women. The brutalisation and torture of women has several negative impacts that start with the continuous fear and feelings of worthlessness among the victims. Large-scale mistreatment of women forces economic backwardness on them and creates widespread gender-disparity(cont.) in the country. There are several possible measures that should be taken to stop the self-perpetuating and vicious cycle of violence against women. These include gender-training programs for law-enforcement and judicial personnel, the addition of materials that teach the importance of equal rights of women in school and college curricula, and a large-scale collaboration between the government and the private sector to create support and shelter facilities for women in distress. Other steps such as constitutional amendments to abolish biased laws and to incorporate gender-neutrality in civil jurisdiction are very important as well. Though the overall picture is quite bleak for women in Pakistan, there are some rays of hope through isolated cases in which society has supported victimised women and the legal system has dispensed justice. Overall, this report is a manifesto for improving the plight of millions of battered women in Pakistan who deserve social justice.by Muhammad Jehanzeb Noor.S.B

ASSESSMENT OF SEDIMENT TRANSPORT LOAD IN GOMAL RIVER AND ITS IMPACT ON THE GOMAL ZAM DAM LIFE SPAN

This paper estimates the sediment load transported by Gomal River at Khajuri Katch and Kot Murtaza on yearly-basis. An eight years sediment data (1981-88) compiled by the surface water hydrology division of WAPDA was analyzed and model of power relation was chosen to be fitted to the collected data. Regression analysis was used to establish a correlation between water discharge and sediment load. The model is an attempt to ascertain the rate of erosion in the catchment of the Gomal River since no generalized model has so far been developed to explain the nature of such weathering activities and all such works are situation specific. Relation between the water discharges to sediment load that it carries has been developed to signify the Gomal River catchment’s erosion. The analysis shows that the catchments is  eroding at the rate of 1.67 acre-feet and the sediment water ratio is 3.0% which is the second highest value the world over after Yellow River in China. The variation of different parameters in sediment-water system i.e. water discharge, sediment load, sediment concentration and sediment quality have been estimated from the actual data and are shown by histograms and bar graphs. The relations developed are applicable only to the Gomal River system. It is hoped that the study will invite interest and attention of planners, researchers, and all those concerned with the problems and menace of soil erosion, sediment load concentration in hydraulic structures and its impact over the life span of hydraulic structures i.e. dams deemed to be constructed across the river with the objective to minimize the sedimentation problems

A comprehensive approach to complex system product development : operations management tools applied to automotive design

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2007.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 133-135).The research is based on observations made over a two-year period with the Closures Systems Integrators or CSIs (supervisory engineers who coordinate attribute balance and system decisions for conflicting door attributes) at a North American automobile manufacturer, focusing on organizational and technical improvements in product development. The product development (PD) process for vehicle side doors forms the case study. A Design Structure Matrix model was made of the process by which important closures attributes are managed through PD, Stamping, Manufacturing and Plant Teams. The attribute delivery process is very tightly coupled with many interactions and conflicts between the attributes, and careful system integration and interface management are essential. The study highlights the need for standardized designs and processes to create time for these system-level tasks, along with better knowledge and resource management. Critical inputs for system attributes are identified and it is shown that a lot of rework occurs if these inputs are changed. The Datum Flow Chain method is developed as a way to communicate data, help with assembly decisions and manage interfaces between component owners.(cont.) An investigation of issues experienced at product launch shows that programs with CSIs have fewer design- related problems during launch, but that CSIs still spend too much time on Design and Release-type tasks for components (instead of a system focus) and fire-fighting. An extensive organizational study reveals the need for more leverage and clearer roles and responsibilities of CSIs. Conclusions on the process are supported by a simulation model and interviews with CSIs and many other engineers. Simulation results also show that adherence to official product development schedules timing is inherently difficult due to the structure of the as-is PD process. A brief comparison to Toyota's closures design process is also part of the thesis but was not part of the project itself. Recommendations for improvement include a set of design tasks that should be standardized, types of analytical tools that should be developed and managerial practices to be followed.by M. Jehanzeb Noor.S.M