The Existential Predicament: Finding Meaning in a Meaningless World

One of the key issues of Existentialism is taking complete responsibility of one’s life and one’s actions and making no excuses. It might be conceived of as a movement and not a sensibility. One can think of it in many different ways but the literature that has come out in the years when Existentialism first became popular just after the Second World War and ever since, it often has the connotation of being a particularly gloomy philosophy – one that is obsessed with the notions of anxiety and dread. However, the important thing to consider is that the researchers find Existentialism a very invigorating and positive minded philosophy. The purpose of this paper is to highlight all the major aspects of the philosophical outlook and especially the importance of human determination in making constructive changes in life

Identification of suitable media based on hydroponic culture for production Zucchini squash

An experiment was conducted to identify the hydroponic culture based suitable media for the production of Zucchini Squash in the Biochemistry Laboratory, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali, Bangladesh during 2014. Zucchini plant (Cucurbita pepo L.) were grown in closed soilless systems to determine the effect of four different hydroponics media on plant growth, yield and nutrient contents (fruit moisture content, ascorbic acid content on fruit, fruit protein content, protein content in leaves). Three types of substrates (coconut husk, jute, cotton) along with Hoagland solution were used in this experiment. Result revealed that media using Jute fiber showed significant effect on plant growth and nutritional values than the other media (media of cotton with Hoagland solution, coconut husk with Hoagland solution and only Hoagland solution). The plant grown using jute media showed the highest plant height (60.33 cm), number of leaves (17.33), yield (1.5 kg plant-1), fruit moisture content (97.33%), Ascorbic acid content in fruit (28.73 mg 100g-1), protein percentage in fruit (1.406%) and percentage (1.326%) in leaves than the other media. Therefore, with the controlled nutrient supply, less expense, less labor, no use of pesticides or fertilizer with controlled environment the use of jute fiber as a substrate with Hoagland solution can be an effective one.Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 6 (2): 1-4, December, 201

Nutritional status of adolescent girls in a selected secondary school of north-eastern part of Nigeria

Background: Adolescence is the most critical period of human life when transitioning occurs from childhood to adulthood. Malnutrition is one of the major global health problems faced by many developing countries across the globe. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the nutritional status of adolescent girls in a selected secondary school in Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 250 adolescent girls who were available during the study period. A nutrition expert, together with an epidemiologist, gathered anthropometric information and measured the height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) of the participants. The BMI was calculated, and the dietary habits of the participants were reported based on their usual food habits. It is part of our limitations and has been addressed under the limitations. Data were collected using a self-administered and semi-structured questionnaire. Results: The mean age of the adolescent girls was 15.9 ± 0.9 years, and more than half (53.2%) were students of senior secondary class 1 (SS-1). More than half (54.4%) of the adolescent girls had average body weight, 36.0% were underweight, and only 9.6% were overweight. The following socio-demographic factors were significantly associated with the BMI of adolescent girls: Age, class of the students, monthly family income, mothers’ educational status, and area of residence. Close to four-fifths (78.4%) of the participants consumed rice more than twice in a week; more than eight-tenths (88.8%) of the participants consumed milk/milk products at least ≤ 2 in a week. About 84.4% of the participants took red meat at least ≤ 2 in a week; more than half (55.2%) of the participants consumed vegetables and fruits more than twice a week. Most (84.8%) of the participants took lunch regularly, and 91.6% of the adolescent girls took breakfast regularly. Conclusions: The study revealed that nearly one-third of the adolescent girls were underweight, indicating a severe public health concern. Early nutritional screening and interventions are recommended to improve the nutritional status of the adolescent girl school in Nigeria

Haploid plantlet regeneration through anther culture in oilseed Brassica species

Anther of five varieties of Brassica species, namely BARI Shariaha-7, Tori-7, Agrani, Daulat and Safal were cultured in vitro to observe their regeneration potentiality. Different concentrations and combinations of growth regulators were supplemented in MS medium. The range of callus induction was 12.50- 87.50 %. Maximum callus induction (75.00%) was observed on MS +4 mg/L 2, 4-D + 1.0 mg/L BAP. Among the genotypes, BARI Sharisha-7 showed the highest percentage of callus induction (60.42%). Among the treatments, highest percentage of shoot regeneration (75.00%) was observed on MS + 4 mg/L BAP + 1.0 mg/L NAA. BARI Sharisha-7 also showed the highest rate of plant regeneration (66.67%). Root induction was highest (75%) on half strength MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/L IBA and 0.5 mg/L NAA. The plantlets with sufficient roots thus obtained were transferred successfully to plastic pots and subsequently to the field. BARI Sharisha-7 and Tori-7 survived easily in the pots as well as in the field but Safal was very poor in survivability both in the pots and in the field

Non-destructive maturity index of “Amritsagor” banana using RGB and HSV values

Massive changes in physicochemical composition and color variation usually occur in fruits during maturation and ripening. This study is conducted to implement an image processing system and develop a maturity color chart of banana. Actually, natural ripening color is different than impose ripening. Maturity color chart will help the consumer when it will be in the packet of banana. The earliest physiological maturity (stage-1) was marked as the stage when the flesh color was olive green and the pulp turning yellow and the subsequent maturity stages determined whenever changes the color as stage-2 (green smoke), stage-3 (apple green), stage-4 (olive drab), stage-5 (yellow) and stage-6 (golden rod) color. For each of the maturity stages, physical (peel color, firmness, and weight loss) and biochemical (anthocyanin content, carotenoids content, titrable acidity, pH, total soluble solids, ascorbic acid, reducing sugar, non-reducing sugar, and total sugar) maturity indices were determined. We had classified the maturity stages of banana based on the RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) and HSV (Hue, Saturation and Value) values. Average, median, minimum and maximum values were used in this study. After completing the qualitative analysis of RGB and HSV values we found the correlation coefficient of RGB and HSV values. The red color (R) values of bananas would increase when stages increase and the hue (H) means the pure color of bananas decreases when stages increase. Therefore, we can say that maturity stages of bananas mainly depend on R and H values. In case of Amritsagor banana at stage-6 (golden rod) color, TSS (Total Soluble Solid) (2.1%), TA (Titrable Acidity) (0.96%), pH (5.2), sugar (1.25%), vitamin C (2.5 mg/100g), reducing sugar (1.04%), non-reducing sugar (0.2%), anthocyanin (0.55 mg/100g) carotenoids (0.38 mg/100g) and at stage-1 (olive green) color, pH (6.8), vitamin C (8.75 mg/100g) are significantly highest. The results show that as maturation progressed, firmness decreased gradually and flesh color turned olive green to golden rod with ripening. Total soluble solids increased while TA (Titrable acidity) gradually increased with maturity. The results revealed that, there is a significant relationship between nutritional value, firmness and fruit skin color. So, the fruit of stage-1 (olive green) is suitable for harvesting and stages-6 (golden rod) color is suitable for consumption. Actually this message for grower/ owner or who would like to harvest and consumer. Fruit is banana, to observe the change of color keep it at room temperature. Neither artificial nor chemical system used here. Each and every box will carry the real maturity color chart

Stability Constraints on Classical de Sitter Vacua

We present further no-go theorems for classical de Sitter vacua in Type II string theory, i.e., de Sitter constructions that do not invoke non-perturbative effects or explicit supersymmetry breaking localized sources. By analyzing the stability of the 4D potential arising from compactification on manfiolds with curvature, fluxes, and orientifold planes, we found that additional ingredients, beyond the minimal ones presented so far, are necessary to avoid the presence of unstable modes. We enumerate the minimal setups for (meta)stable de Sitter vacua to arise in this context.Comment: 18 pages; v2: argument improved, references adde

The problematic backreaction of SUSY-breaking branes

In this paper we investigate the localisation of SUSY-breaking branes which, in the smeared approximation, support specific non-BPS vacua. We show, for a wide class of boundary conditions, that there is no flux vacuum when the branes are described by a genuine delta-function. Even more, we find that the smeared solution is the unique solution with a regular brane profile. Our setup consists of a non-BPS AdS_7 solution in massive IIA supergravity with smeared anti-D6-branes and fluxes T-dual to ISD fluxes in IIB supergravity.Comment: 27 pages, Latex2e, 5 figure

Gravity waves and the LHC: Towards high-scale inflation with low-energy SUSY

It has been argued that rather generic features of string-inspired inflationary theories with low-energy supersymmetry (SUSY) make it difficult to achieve inflation with a Hubble scale H > m_{3/2}, where m_{3/2} is the gravitino mass in the SUSY-breaking vacuum state. We present a class of string-inspired supergravity realizations of chaotic inflation where a simple, dynamical mechanism yields hierarchically small scales of post-inflationary supersymmetry breaking. Within these toy models we can easily achieve small ratios between m_{3/2} and the Hubble scale of inflation. This is possible because the expectation value of the superpotential relaxes from large to small values during the course of inflation. However, our toy models do not provide a reasonable fit to cosmological data if one sets the SUSY-breaking scale to m_{3/2} < TeV. Our work is a small step towards relieving the apparent tension between high-scale inflation and low-scale supersymmetry breaking in string compactifications.Comment: 21+1 pages, 5 figures, LaTeX, v2: added references, v3: very minor changes, version to appear in JHE

Population density, water supply, and the risk of dengue fever in Vietnam: cohort study and spatial analysis.

BACKGROUND: Aedes aegypti, the major vector of dengue viruses, often breeds in water storage containers used by households without tap water supply, and occurs in high numbers even in dense urban areas. We analysed the interaction between human population density and lack of tap water as a cause of dengue fever outbreaks with the aim of identifying geographic areas at highest risk. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We conducted an individual-level cohort study in a population of 75,000 geo-referenced households in Vietnam over the course of two epidemics, on the basis of dengue hospital admissions (n = 3,013). We applied space-time scan statistics and mathematical models to confirm the findings. We identified a surprisingly narrow range of critical human population densities between around 3,000 to 7,000 people/km² prone to dengue outbreaks. In the study area, this population density was typical of villages and some peri-urban areas. Scan statistics showed that areas with a high population density or adequate water supply did not experience severe outbreaks. The risk of dengue was higher in rural than in urban areas, largely explained by lack of piped water supply, and in human population densities more often falling within the critical range. Mathematical modeling suggests that simple assumptions regarding area-level vector/host ratios may explain the occurrence of outbreaks. CONCLUSIONS: Rural areas may contribute at least as much to the dissemination of dengue fever as cities. Improving water supply and vector control in areas with a human population density critical for dengue transmission could increase the efficiency of control efforts. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary

Reversible C-H bond activation at a triosmium centre: A comparative study of the reactivity of unsaturated triosmium clusters Os3(CO)8(μ-dppm)(μ-H)2 and Os3(CO)8(μ-dppf)(μ-H)2 with activated alkynes

Heating a benzene solution of the unsaturated cluster Os3(CO)8(μ-dppm)(μ-H)2 (1) [dppm = bis(diphenylphosphino)methane] with MeO2CCtriple bond; length of mdashCCO2Me (DMAD) or EtO2CCtriple bond; length of mdashCCO2Et (DEAD) at 80 °C furnished the dinuclear compounds Os2(CO)4(μ-dppm)(μ-η2;η1;к1-RO2CCCHCO2R)(μ-H) (3a, R = Me, 3b, R = Et) and the saturated trinuclear complexes Os3(CO)7(μ-dppm)(μ3-η2;η1;η1-RO2CCCCO2R)(μ-H)2 (4a, R = Me, 4b, R = Et). In contrast, similar reactions using unsaturated Os3(CO)8(μ-dppf)(μ-H)2 (2) [dppf = bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene] afforded only the trinuclear complexes Os3(CO)8(μ-dppf)(μ-η2;η1-RO2CCHCCO2R)(μ-H) (5a, R = Me; 5b, R = Et) and Os3(CO)7(μ-dppf)(μ3-η2;η1;η1-RO2CCCCO2R)(μ-H)2 (6a, R = Me; 6b, R = Et). Control experiments confirm that 5a and 5b decarbonylate at 80 °C to give 6a and 6b, respectively. Both 5a and 5b exist as a pair of isomers in solution, as demonstrated by 1H NMR and 31P{1H} NMR spectroscopy. DFT calculations on cluster 5a (as the dppf-Me4 derivative) indicate that the isomeric mixture derives from a torsional motion that promotes the conformational flipping of the cyclopentadienyl groups of the dppf-Me4 ligand relative to the metallic plane. VT NMR measurements on clusters 6a and 6b indicate that while the hydride ligand associated with the dppf-bridged Os-Os bond is nonfluxional at room temperature, the second hydride rapidly oscillates between the two non-dppf-bridged Os-Os edges. DFT examination of this hydride fluxionality confirms a “windshield wiper” motion for the labile hydride that gives rise to a time-average coupling of this hydride to both phosphorus centers of the dppf ligand. Thermolysis of 6a and 6b in refluxing toluene yielded Os3(CO)7(μ-dppf)(μ-η2;η1;к1-CCHCO2R) (7a, R=Me; 7b, R=Et). The vinylidene moieties in 7a and 7b derive from the carbon-carbon bond cleavage of coordinated alkyne ligands, and these two products exhibit high thermal stability in refluxing toluene