Non-Blocking Concurrent Operations on Heap

We present a non-blocking implementation for the concurrent Heap data structure in the asynchronous shared memory system. The system may be a traditional one with a single processor with multiple threads, or it may be the one with multiple processors each possibly with multiple threads. Our implementation supports readMin, deleteMin, and insert operations on the heap. The deleteMin and insert operations are non-blocking operations, whereas the readMin is wait-free. One easy approach of using a heap in multi-threading environment could be by locking the entire heap before performing any operation. This would make the implementation very slow to have any practical application. The above inefficiency could be reduced by using the fine-grained locking mechanism as shown by Herlihy and Shavit. But, this would still be a blocking implementation, where some threads may be waiting forever for some other threads holding the locks that might have crashed or failed. Israeli and Rappoport gave a non-blocking implementation which supports deleteMin and insert operations using some primitives which they claim could be built using transactional memory. Moreover, their implementation has a limitation on the range of values a node in the heap can have. We propose a different implementation which supports all three operations using a primitive, called Double-Compare-And-Set(DCAS). DCAS is a synchronization operation supported in hardware by Motorola 68K family of processors. It was also going to be supported by Sun\u27s canceled Rock processor. DCAS takes two memory locations as input, and writes new values to them only if they match input expected values. Our algorithm has no limitation on the range of numbers a node can have

Climate Change in the Nepal Himalayas: What we know and what we need to know

This study reports synthesis of a systematic literature review on climate change observations, projections, impacts, and research gaps and needs in the Nepal Himalayas. The major findings on climate change observations are rising temperature trends across all geographical regions in Nepal, increasing occurrences of temperature and precipitation extremes, increasing loss of glacier mass, and increase in glacier lake formations. Literature on nationwide trend analysis report lack of consistent long-term trend in precipitation, contrary to others at watershed scale, which show trend in both directions. A study on stream-flow trend in Nepal suggests absence of stream-flow trend in most of the stations and general lack of spatial trend

Effect of different weed management practices on production of spring maize in Dang, Nepal

The study was carried out at Lamahi-8, Satbariya, Dang to evaluate the effect of different weed management practices on the production of spring maize. The experiment was carried out in a Randomized Complete Block Design using three replications and seven treatments. Rampur hybrid 10 variety and early post emergence (EPoE) herbicide were used in the experiment. The treatment consisted of single as well as combined weed management methods as T1:  Broadcasting-One hand weeding, T2: Broadcasting-Herbicide, T3: Line sown- One hand weeding, T4: Line sown-Herbicide + one hand weeding, T5: Line sown- Mini tiller weeder, T6: Line sown- herbicide + mini tiller and T7: Line sown- One hand weeding + mini tiller. The experiment result showed that the combined application of early post emergence herbicide and mini tiller resulted the highest grain yield (8.62 Mt/ha) with minimum total weed density at 60 DAS (41.33/m2) and at harvest (68/m2) thus resulting minimum weed dry weight at 60 DAS (5.45 g/m2) and at harvest (10.64 g/m2). Sixteen different weed species belonging to 9 different families were identified in the experimental field. The highest benefit: cost (3.37) was obtained in the treatment Line sown-Herbicide + mini tiller weeder which was significantly higher compared to other treatments. Among the treatments applied, one with the application of herbicide in combination with mini tiller weeder was found to be the most effective one that resulted in the minimum weed density and minimum dry weight, higher grain and biological yield with the highest benefit cost ratio thus proving to be the most economical one. At the same time, application of mini tiller weeder as a single method was found to be the next better alternative for weed control in spring maize that could benefit the farmers in comparison to other single weed management practices

Variability for growth and yield traits in single cross hybrids of maize (Zea mays L.)

Saabunud / Received 29.09.2021 ; Aktsepteeritud / Accepted 18.11.2021 ; Avaldatud veebis / Published online 18.11.2021 ; Vastutav autor / Corresponding author: Jiban Shrestha [email protected] single-cross hybrids of maize were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three replications to investigate genetic variability and correlation among growth and yield traits at Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal from March 13 to September 05, 2021. The hybrids were grouped into four clusters using Euclidean Average Linkage method. The cluster analysis showed the presence of genetic variability in the evaluated hybrids. The maximum distance between cluster centroids (194.28) was found between cluster 2 and cluster 4, indicating genetic dissimilarity. Grain yield had the maximum values of phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) (35.02%), followed by ear height (17.82%) and plant height (12.22%). Similarly, grain yield had the maximum values of genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) (26.24%) followed by the number of kernel rows/cob (8.77%) and days to 50% silking (8.72%). Days to 50% silking and days to 50% tasseling had the highest values of heritability (86%) followed by cob diameter (84%) and no. of kernel rows in cob (68%). The leaf area per plant had the maximum values of genetic advance (GA) (74.87 cm2), followed by plant height (27.80 cm) and days to 50% silking (9.66 days). Similarly, the maximum values of genetic advance as percent of the mean (GAM) was found for grain yield (40.50%) followed by days to 50% silking (16.70%) and days to 50% tasseling (16.17%). The hybrids namely KWM-91 × KWM-93 produced the maximum values of grain yield (9.99 t ha–1) followed by KWM-93 × KWM-91 (9.63 t ha–1) and KWM-92 × KWM-93 (9.40 t ha–1). Grain yield showed positive and significant phenotypic correlation with days to 50% silking (r = 0.41), days to 50% tasseling (r = 0.39), plant height (r = 0.37), cob diameter (r = 0.49) and the number of kernel rows in cob (r = 0.38). Therefore, utilization of present genetic variability along with indirect selection for traits having significant association with grain yield, high heritability and GAM could aid in the improvement of maize productivity

Economics of chhari and marketable-size carps in Bara, Nepal

A study was conducted to analyze the economics of production of chhari and marketable-size carps in Bara, Nepal. All total 90 farmers; 45 chhari producing and 45 marketable-size carps producing farmers were selected randomly and surveyed through pre-tested semi-structured interview based schedule on the month of March, 2019. Data was entered and analyzed using STATA 12.1 and SPSS 25. Findings of the study revealed that the total cost of fish production per hectare of pond area was 971927 NRs/year. Chhari production was profitable in the study area as compared to marketable-size carps with a Benefit Cost Ratio of 1.97 and 1.67 respectively. Production function analysis including six explanatory variables, showed significant effect of feed, labour (p<0.01), maintenance, fuel and electricity (p<0.05) and lime, fertilizer and medicine costs (p<0.1) but seed cost was insignificant. The return to scale was found to be 0.906 and at II stage of Production. According to estimated allocative efficiency indices, it is suggested to reduce seed; and lime, fertilizer cum medicine cost by 159% and 72% respectively, and increase the maintenance; feed; fuel cum electricity; and labour cost by about 95%, 33%, 95%, and 50% respectively for chhari producers. Similarly for marketable-size carp producers, it is suggested to decrease fuel and electricity cost by 176% and increase maintenance; seed; feed; lime, fertilizer and medicine; and labour cost by 95%, 86%, 13%, 29%, and 30% respectively. Thus, fishery enterprise is in the stage of higher potentiality to increase the production in the study area

Effects of the PRACHAR project\u27s reproductive health training programme for adolescents: Findings from a longitudinal study

The objective of this study was to better understand the longer-term effects of a three-day training program offered by Phase III of Pathfinder’s PRACHAR (Promoting Change in Reproductive Behaviour) program among adolescents in rural areas of selected districts of Bihar, India. This program focused on addressing adolescents’ need for information, contraceptive supplies, parental and community support, and a youth-friendly health system. Findings confirm that the training program was acceptable and useful to the young people exposed to it, and that it had a number of notable longer-term effects, observed even four years following its implementation; and they demonstrate the promise of a scaled intervention implemented among large proportions of adolescents and young people. Nevertheless, a training program lasting just three days or one focused only on adolescents may not be sufficient to sustain longer-term effects in the more difficult-to-change aspects of young people’s reproductive health—child marriage and early pregnancy—in a conservative setting such as Bihar

A systematic study on material properties of water retted Sterculia and Bauhinia fiber

Lignocellulose biomass forms an important component of traditional and next generation composite materials. To obtain desired properties, the biomass needs to be chemo‒mechanically processed at different levels. The raw lignocellulose fiber obtained from Sterculia villosa (Roxb.) and Bauhinia vahlii is traditionally believed to have high water stability; and therefore used in rural areas of South Asian regions to secure objects submerged under water. In this research, we systematically studied several material properties of raw Sterculia and Bauhinia fiber samples retted for 0, 20, 30 and 55 days (n=8). Water retting resulted in significant decrease in lignin and extractives content (p0.05). Interestingly, water retting resulted in increased thermal stability in both fiber types. These findings suggested that the fiber studied have excellent water stability. The observed trend in mechanical and thermal properties could have resulted from crystallinity change and/or nominal fiber damage as supported by XRD and SEM imaging data; respectively. These findings suggested that Sterculia and Bauhinia fiber biomass could be an important component of biodegradable composite materials which are intended for high wetting and/or humid conditions

Synthesis, docking study and biological evaluation of novel N-(1,3-benzothiazole-2-yl)-2-(pyridine-3-ylformohydrazido) acetamide derivatives

1721-1737A series of N-(1,3-benzothiazole-2-yl)-2(pyridine-3-ylformohydrazido acetamide derivatives have been synthesized by facile and efficient conventional method. The structures of the compounds have been elucidated with the aid of elemental analysis, IR, ESI-MS, and 1H and 13C NMR spectral data. Molecular docking revealed that synthesized derivatives and target proteins are actively involved in the binding pattern and had a significant correlation with biological activity. Molecular dynamics studies have also been performed and ADME parameters for the synthesized compounds determined. Biological evaluation of all synthesized compounds have been carried out in vitro for their antibacterial, antituberculosis and antifungal efficacy against various bacterial and fungal strains and H37Rv. The different studies indicate that newly synthesized compounds possess moderate to good biological activities

Sequence Analysis of Novel Staphylococcus aureus Lineages from Wild and Captive Macaques

Staphylococcus aureus is a widespread and common opportunistic bacterium that can colonise or infect humans as well as a wide range of animals. There are a few studies of both methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolated from monkeys, apes, and lemurs, indicating a presence of a number of poorly or unknown lineages of the pathogen. In order to obtain insight into staphylococcal diversity, we sequenced strains from wild and captive individuals of three macaque species (Macaca mulatta, M. assamensis, and M. sylvanus) using Nanopore and Illumina technologies. These strains were previously identified by microarray as poorly or unknown strains. Isolates of novel lineages ST4168, ST7687, ST7688, ST7689, ST7690, ST7691, ST7692, ST7693, ST7694, ST7695, ST7745, ST7746, ST7747, ST7748, ST7749, ST7750, ST7751, ST7752, ST7753, and ST7754 were sequenced and characterised for the first time. In addition, isolates belonging to ST2990, a lineage also observed in humans, and ST3268, a MRSA strain already known from macaques, were also included into the study. Mobile genetic elements, genomic islands, and carriage of prophages were analysed. There was no evidence for novel host-specific virulence factors. However, a conspicuously high rate of carriage of a pathogenicity island harbouring edinB and etD2/etE as well as a higher number of repeat units within the gene sasG (encoding an adhesion factor) than in human isolates were observed. None of the strains harboured the genes encoding Panton–Valentine leukocidin. In conclusion, wildlife including macaques may harbour an unappreciated diversity of S. aureus lineages that may be of clinical relevance for humans, livestock, or for wildlife conservation, given the declining state of many wildlife populations