Constraining the Variation in Fine-Structure Constant Using SDSS DR8 QSO Spectra

We report a robust constrain on the possible variation of fine-structure constant, alpha = e^2/(hbar*c), obtained using O III 4959,5007, nebular emission lines from QSOs. We find Delta-alpha/alpha=-(2.1 +/- 1.6) x 10^(-5) based on a well selected sample of 2347 QSOs from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 8 with 0.02 < z < 0.74. Our result is consistent with a non-varying alpha at a level of 2 x 10^(-5) over approximately 7 Gyr. This is the largest sample of extragalactic objects yet used to constrain the variation of alpha. While this constraint is not as stringent as those determined using many-multiplet method it is free from various systematic effects. A factor of ~ 4 improvement in Delta-alpha/alpha achieved here compared to the previous study (Bahcall et al. 2004) is just consistent with what is expected based on a factor of 14 times bigger sample used here. This suggests that errors are mainly dominated by the statistical uncertainty. We also find the ratio of transition probabilities corresponding to the O III 5007 A and 4959 A lines to be 2.933+/-0.002, in good agreement with the National Institute of Standards and Technology measurements.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures; Accepted for publication in MNRAS Lette

Career effectiveness and its determinants

Study of careers has become an important aspect in the fast changing organizational context. It has come to be increasingly recognized at present, that career management is the responsibility of both the individual as well as the organization. This empirical study tries to understand the important elements of individual and organizational career practices that affect an employee’s career effectiveness. Most of the previous studies have used the objective terms of career success such as remuneration and position as the criterion variable. But since career outcome expectations vary across individuals and also since the concept of career itself has evolved over time, it was decided to use a more comprehensive concept of career outcome namely career effectiveness as the outcome variable. Career effectiveness as defined by Hall (2002) has both long-term orientation such as identity and adaptability as well as short-term orientation such as career attitudes and performance. Further both behavioral aspects such as performance and adaptability and individual subjective aspects such as identity and attitudes make it a more comprehensive way of assessing career outcome. The results of this research study indicate that individual determinants such as career planning and knowledge of organizational politics and organizational level determinants such as training and development support, quality of performance feedback and supervisory support explain significant variances in the determination of employee career effectiveness.

Effect of l-proline and l-tryptophan on somatic embryogenesis and plantlet regeneration of rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Pusa 169)

This article does not have an abstract

The number of privately treated tuberculosis cases in India: an estimation from drug sales data

Background Understanding the amount of tuberculosis managed by the private sector in India is crucial to understanding the true burden of the disease in the country, and thus globally. In the absence of quality surveillance data on privately treated patients, commercial drug sales data offer an empirical foundation for disease burden estimation. Methods We used a large, nationally representative commercial dataset on sales of 189 anti-tuberculosis products available in India to calculate the amount of anti-tuberculosis treatment in the private sector in 2013–14. We corrected estimates using validation studies that audited prescriptions against tuberculosis diagnosis, and estimated uncertainty using Monte Carlo simulation. To address implications for numbers of patients with tuberculosis, we explored varying assumptions for average duration of tuberculosis treatment and accuracy of private diagnosis. Findings There were 17·793 million patient-months (95% credible interval 16·709 million to 19·841 million) of anti-tuberculosis treatment in the private sector in 2014, twice as many as the public sector. If 40–60% of private-sector tuberculosis diagnoses are correct, and if private-sector tuberculosis treatment lasts on average 2–6 months, this implies that 1·19–5·34 million tuberculosis cases were treated in the private sector in 2014 alone. The midpoint of these ranges yields an estimate of 2·2 million cases, two to three times higher than currently assumed. Interpretation India's private sector is treating an enormous number of patients for tuberculosis, appreciably higher than has been previously recognised. Accordingly, there is a re-doubled need to address this burden and to strengthen surveillance. Tuberculosis burden estimates in India and worldwide require revision

Hyperuricemia and maternal outcome in pregnancy induced hypertension: prospective study in a tertiary care center in Mumbai, India

Background: Pregnancy induced hypertension, preeclampsia, eclampsia are serious complications of pregnancy. They are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world and one of the leading causes for perinatal mortality also. It is the systemic disease affecting all vital organs including the fetus. Estimation of biochemical markers can give us the indication of the severity and prediction of the outcome. Serum uric acid is the end product of purine metabolism, amongst others like creatinine, LDH, transaminases. Methods: It was a type of prospective descriptive study. The present study was conducted in department of obstetrics and gynecology, Tertiary care hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Results: Pregnancy induced hypertension was most common in age group of 20-25 years, most common complication was preterm delivery which accounts for 43% of maternal complications. 60% of the cases with IUFD had serum uric acid level 8-8.9 mg/dl, 3% of the patients had HELLP syndrome. Conclusions: We found severity of complication associated with raise in serum uric acid levels.

Utilization of Coconut Shell Liquid Smoke on Quail Performance at Grower Period

Antioxidants from coconut shell liquid smoke can overcome oxidative stress in quail. This study aims to analyze the effect of coconut shell liquid smoke (ACTK) on the performance of quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) during the grower period. The research method used a completely randomized designconsisting of 5 treatment levels with 3 replications, namely P0 (control), P1 (0.25 mL/L ACTK), P2 (0.50 mL/L ACTK), P3 (0.75 mL/L ACTK) and P4 (1 mL/L ACTK). Variables measured included initial body weight, final body weight, body weight gain, feed intake, water intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR),morbidity, mortality, and income over feed quail cost (IOFQC). The results showed that giving ACTK had no significant effect (P&gt;0.05) on feed intake, water intake, and body weight gain. The morbidity and mortality rates in this study were 0%. The best FCR value was obtained at P4 (4.28). The highest IOFQC value was at P4 (Rp 1.578,92). This study concludes that giving coconut shell liquid smoke to female quails during the grower period through drinking water had no significant effect on feed intake, water intake, and body weight gain. A dose of 1 mL/L of ACTK produced the best FCR and IOFQC values

Studies on the growth and flowering of a short-day plant, Wolffia microscopica

As found earlier, supply of EDTA was obligatory for both flowering and satisfactory vegetative growth in Wolffia microscopica. It is now shown that the metal affecting growth and flowering is most probably iron. Omission of Fe but not of Cu, Zn, Mn and B from the medium markedly affects vegetative growth. There exists also a strong interaction between EDTA and Fe, one being largely inactive in the absence of the other. When Fe-EDDHA is substituted for Fe-citrate and EDTA in the medium, no great effect is seen in vegetative growth, but flowering takes place even under continuous light. Studies with 59Fe show that, in the medium containing Fe-EDDHA, Fe uptake is stimulated several-fold; this is apparently associated with the flowering condition