Acoustic gravity waves: A computational approach

This paper discusses numerical solutions of a hyperbolic initial boundary value problem that arises from acoustic wave propagation in the atmosphere. Field equations are derived from the atmospheric fluid flow governed by the Euler equations. The resulting original problem is nonlinear. A first order linearized version of the problem is used for computational purposes. The main difficulty in the problem as with any open boundary problem is in obtaining stable boundary conditions. Approximate boundary conditions are derived and shown to be stable. Numerical results are presented to verify the effectiveness of these boundary conditions

Persistence of RNAi-Mediated Knockdown in Drosophila Complicates Mosaic Analysis Yet Enables Highly Sensitive Lineage Tracing.

RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a powerful way of reducing gene function in Drosophila melanogaster tissues. By expressing synthetic short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) using the Gal4/UAS system, knockdown is efficiently achieved in specific tissues or in clones of marked cells. Here we show that knockdown by shRNAs is so potent and persistent that even transient exposure of cells to shRNAs can reduce gene function in their descendants. When using the FLP-out Gal4 method, in some instances we observed unmarked "shadow RNAi" clones adjacent to Gal4-expressing clones, which may have resulted from brief Gal4 expression following recombination but prior to cell division. Similarly, Gal4 driver lines with dynamic expression patterns can generate shadow RNAi cells after their activity has ceased in those cells. Importantly, these effects can lead to erroneous conclusions regarding the cell autonomy of knockdown phenotypes. We have investigated the basis of this phenomenon and suggested experimental designs for eliminating ambiguities in interpretation. We have also exploited the persistence of shRNA-mediated knockdown to design a sensitive lineage-tracing method, i-TRACE, which is capable of detecting even low levels of past reporter expression. Using i-TRACE, we demonstrate transient infidelities in the expression of some cell-identity markers near compartment boundaries in the wing imaginal disc

A Methodology for Engineering Collaborative and ad-hoc Mobile Applications using SyD Middleware

Today’s web applications are more collaborative and utilize standard and ubiquitous Internet protocols. We have earlier developed System on Mobile Devices (SyD) middleware to rapidly develop and deploy collaborative applications over heterogeneous and possibly mobile devices hosting web objects. In this paper, we present the software engineering methodology for developing SyD-enabled web applications and illustrate it through a case study on two representative applications: (i) a calendar of meeting application, which is a collaborative application and (ii) a travel application which is an ad-hoc collaborative application. SyD-enabled web objects allow us to create a collaborative application rapidly with limited coding effort. In this case study, the modular software architecture allowed us to hide the inherent heterogeneity among devices, data stores, and networks by presenting a uniform and persistent object view of mobile objects interacting through XML/SOAP requests and responses. The performance results we obtained show that the application scales well as we increase the group size and adapts well within the constraints of mobile devices

A Feasibility Study of Public Private Partnership in Sustainable Ethiopia’s Coffee Quality Improvement Programme

The rainforests of the south western Ethiopian highlands are recognised asthe birthplace of Coffea arabica. Ethiopia is the only country in the worldwhere Coffea Arabica (L.) can be found in the wild. The forests that oncedominated the highlands are considerably diminished during the lastdecades. This poses a massive threat to the survival of the genetic resources of Coffea Arabica, 99.8% of the genetic diversity of which is in Ethiopia. As a result, the diversity at origin of some 2,000 or more coffee varieties – unique in the world – is in danger of being irretrievably lost. The monastery islands and environ of Lake Tana had coffee from the South west forests planted 400 years ago by King Fassil of Gonder. This has created a natural ex-situ gene bank in an area otherwise covered with forest. Civilian population pressure since 1974 has reduced the forest for firewood and timber incomes and coffee has been neglected especially during the low price periods. In order to address these issues with sustainable livelihoods, the feasibility of a PPP programme is being studied, incorporating the governments with NGOs and private partners. This paper comprehensively analyses the approaches to study the feasibility and status of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in Amhara region specially Zegey peninsula and Lake Tana Island coffee quality improvement. To collect the required information interviews were conducted with concerned stakeholders and a simple questionnaire also prepared and distributed to coffee producing farmers in Amharic language.Key words: Quality Coffee Berries, Pre & Post Harvesting method, Amhararegion- Zegey Peninsula, Feasibility of PPP assistanc

Polynomial disaggregation procedures

January 1991.Includes bibliographical references.In air quality monitoring, often aerosol samples are collected using various filter methods in regular sampling cycles. Some aerosol species samples may be collected at 12 hour cycles while others may be collected at 6 hour cycles or 24 hour cycles, etc. If some species are collected at 6 hour intervals and others at 12 hour intervals, then a statistical analysis of these data are often carried out after aggregating the 6 hour data to produce 12 hour data so that all data correspond to the same time cycle. It is of some interest to investigate the alternative possibility of disaggregating the 12 hour data to obtain "6 hour (pseudo) data" and then performing statistical analyses on the 6 hour scale. In this report we investigate this possibility by studying how well a certain class of disaggregation procedures is able to disaggregate aggregated data. The performance of the methods considered are evaluated using real data collected as part of the WHITEX study.Research supported by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration under Grant no. NA90RAH00077

dbSMR: a novel resource of genome-wide SNPs affecting microRNA mediated regulation

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate several biological processes through post-transcriptional gene silencing. The efficiency of binding of miRNAs to target transcripts depends on the sequence as well as intramolecular structure of the transcript. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) can contribute to alterations in the structure of regions flanking them, thereby influencing the accessibility for miRNA binding. Description: The entire human genome was analyzed for SNPs in and around predicted miRNA target sites. Polymorphisms within 200 nucleotides that could alter the intramolecular structure at the target site, thereby altering regulation were annotated. Collated information was ported in a MySQL database with a user-friendly interface accessible through the URL: http://miracle.igib.res.in/ dbSMR. Conclusion: The database has a user-friendly interface where the information can be queried using either the gene name, microRNA name, polymorphism ID or transcript ID. Combination queries using 'AND' or 'OR' is also possible along with specifying the degree of change of intramolecular bonding with and without the polymorphism. Such a resource would enable researchers address questions like the role of regulatory SNPs in the 3' UTRs and population specific regulatory modulations in the context of microRNA targets

Managing healthcare performance in analytical framework

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to develop an integrated framework for performance management of healthcare services. Design/methodology/approach – This study develops a performance management framework for healthcare services using a combined analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and logical framework (LOGFRAME). The framework is then applied to the intensive care units of three different hospitals in developing nations. Numerous focus group discussions were undertaken, involving experts from the specific area under investigation. Findings – The study reveals that a combination of outcome, structure and process-based critical success factors and a combined AHP and LOGFRAME-based performance management framework helps manage performance of healthcare services. Practical implications – The proposed framework could be practiced in hospital-based healthcare services. Originality/value – The conventional approaches to healthcare performance management are either outcome-based or process-based, which cannot reveal improvement measures appropriately in order to assure superior performance. Additionally, they lack planning, implementing and evaluating improvement projects that are identified from performance measurement. This study presents an integrated approach to performance measurement and implementing framework of improvement projects

A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON HEART DISEASE ANALYSIS USING CLASSIFICATION TECHNIQUES

As it is modern era where people use computers more for work and other purposes physical activities are reduced. Due to work pressure they are not worrying about food habits. This results in introduction of junk food. These junk foods in turn results in many health issues. Major issue is heart disease. It is the major cause of casualty all over the world. Prediction of such heart disease is a tough task. But Countless mining approaches overcome this difficulty. Nowadays data mining techniques play’s an important role in many fields such as business application, stock market analysis, e-commerce, medical field and many more. Previously many techniques like Bayesian classification, decision tree and many more are employed for heart disease prediction. In this proposal we are going to do a comparative study on three algorithms

Study of maternal and fetal outcomes in premature rupture of membrane in central rural India

Background: Premature rupture of membrane is linked to significant maternal prenatal mortalities and morbidity. The maternal and fetal outcomes in PROM is very important to decrease maternal and child mortality and for better management and prevention of complications. Thus, this study aimed to detect the maternal and fetal outcomes in patients with PLROM at tertiary care hospital in central rural India.Methods: This prospective study was conducted in Department of obstetrics & Gynecology, in a tertiary care institute located in central India, over a period of 18 months. 210 patients were diagnosed with PLROM and all of them were included in the study. The data of these women were collected using a checklist based on registration books.Results: The rate of maternal morbidity was 26%, commonest cause was clinical chorioamnionitis (11.9%) followed by febrile illness seen in 10.5%. No maternal mortality was seen in the study. Perinatal morbidity was seen in 30% of cases. Clinical early onset neonatal infection was the commonest cause for perinatal morbidity noticed in 23.8% of cases (50 out of 210). Perinatal mortality observed was 1.43% (3 out of 210). Birth asphyxia being the commonest cases of mortality.Conclusions: Major maternal morbidity is chorioamnionitis (11.9%). Major perinatal morbidity observed is early onset neonatal infection (24%)