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Turcot’s syndrome is a rare genetic disorder clinically characterised by concomitant occurrence of primary brain tumour and colorectal polyposis. It is commonly seen in association with two other syndromes, namely, hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). It is characterized by an increased risk for early onset of other tumours including of endometrium, stomach, small intestine, hepatobiliary system, kidney, ureter, brain and ovary. We report the rare occurrence of Turcot syndrome in a 13-year-old girl who presented with focal seizure.

The classification scenario needs handling of more than one biomarker. The main objective of the work is to propose a multivariate receiver operating characteristic (MROC) model which linearly combines the markers to classify them into one of the two groups and also to determine an optimal cut point. Simulation studies are conducted for four sets of mean vectors and covariance matrices and a real dataset is also used to demonstrate the proposed model. Linear and quadratic discriminant analysis has also been applied to the above datasets in order to explain the ease of the proposed model. Bootstrapped estimates of the parameters of the ROC curve are also estimated.

The study describes synthesis of (S)- and (R)-oxetane-β3-amino acid (β3-Oaa) monomers from diacetone glucose (DAG). The oxetane ring is prepared by a nucleophilic cyclization reaction, wherein, the C-3 and C-4 stereocenters of DAG represent the C-2 and C-1 of oxetane ring, respectively. The hydroxy methyl group generated from C-1/C-2 was used for the ring formation, and C-5/C-6 of DAG were used for the introduction of amine and ester groups via aza-Michael addition reaction on the α, β-unsaturated ester. The stereochemistry at the newly created amine center was defined through modified Mosher method. The (S)-β3-Oaa monomer and l -Ala were used for the synthesis of regular 1:1 was converted into α, β-peptides. The conformational analysis of the peptides revealed the presence of 11/9-helical patterns from the NMR, CD and MD studies.

Various developmental activities like installation of hydroelectric projects, multipurpose projects, nuclear power plants, rapid urbanization and industrial growth needs mapping seismically active faults and correlating with the regional tectonics. This is the present day demand from the society to seismologists at large. To meet this demand the agencies involved in earthquake research, National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), recently commissioned state of art broad band seismological networks in Andhra Pradesh and adjoining states in southern peninsular shield to study the seismic activity in eastern Dharwar craton. Installation of seismic networks namely Andhra Pradesh seismic network, Koyna seismic network, and shield seismic networks operated by National Geophysical Research Institute in southern peninsular shield tremendously improved the capabilities of monitoring the earthquake activity in near real time. This article deals with the application and necessity of monitoring micro earthquake activity by installing network of seismic stations along pre existing zones of weakness, which have been earlier subjected to major earthquakes like Kinnerasani-Godavari fault (Bhadrachalam region), Gundlakamma river fault (Ongole region) and characterizing the nature of faulting associated with the above.

Remotely sensed sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll associated with fronts and filaments are used in India to generate potential fishing zone (PFZ) advisories in the north eastern Arabian Sea (NEAS). However, biological response to this potential nutrient enhancement has not been investigated. Here we present phytoplankton pigment signatures and nutrient distribution from a section that sampled across a filament and front in the NEAS. We show that nutrient concentrations were high within the filament and front compared to the surrounding waters and had a unique phytoplankton assemblage. Even though there was difference in the physical properties between the filament and front, chemical taxonomy (CHEMTAX) showed dominance of similar phytoplankton groups (prymnesiophytes and prasinophytes). In contrast, Prochlorococcus sp. contributed more than 50% to the total phytoplankton biomass in the surrounding waters and below the oxycline. In general, prymnesiophytes were ubiquitous, covarying with high nutrients and cold temperature, and contributed 60–70% to the total phytoplankton biomass. This study demonstrates that phytoplankton groups respond strongly to nutrient enhancement that is often encountered within the vicinity of the SST fronts that characterize the PFZs.

This paper expands on the concept of heuristic space diversity and investigates various strategies for the management of heuristic space diversity within the context of a meta-hyper-heuristic algorithm in search of greater performance benefits. Evaluation of various strategies on a diverse set of floating-point benchmark problems shows that heuristic space diversity has a significant impact on hyper-heuristic performance. An exponentially increasing strategy (EIHH) obtained the best results. The value of a priori information about constituent algorithm performance on the benchmark set in question was also evaluated. Finally, EIHH demonstrated good performance when compared to a popular population based algorithm portfolio algorithm and the best performing constituent algorithm.

Dunaliella salina is cultivated extensively in natural ponds or intensively in race way ponds for β-carotene production. The ponds are seeded with culture inoculum developed in laboratory conditions or in pilot plant. Because of its high light requirement for growth, D. salina cultures are very cell dilute. Therefore, a large volume of culture inoculum is required to seed mass culture units. The feasibility of culture of D. salina in mixotrophic mode to obtain cell dense inoculum was investigated with an Indian isolate – I3. The constituents of the mineral medium and their concentration were first standardized in growth assays. The optimized mineral medium was supplemented with organic carbon sources – glycerol, sodium acetate and malt extract and organic nitrogen sources – yeast extract and peptone to test for the best results of mixotrophic culture. A mineral medium with 100 mg L–1 potassium nitrate or urea, 0.35 mg L–1 potassium phosphate, 1 ml L–1 trace elements mix (Walne's medium) without borate and 12.5 % NaCl in sea water was found optimal. Malt and yeast extracts in the proportion of 1:3 g L–1 in optimized mineral medium was found to result in cell dense cultures. Mixotrophically cultured inoculum grown photoautotrophically in optimized mineral medium resulted in increased biomass production with higher carotene content than when photoautotrophically cultured. The production cycle decreased by 11 days compared to autotrophic cultures

International audience; We study the silicon biogeochemical cycle and its associated parameters in 24 and 18 Indian estuaries during dry and wet periods respectively. We focus more specifically on dissolved Si (DSi), amorphous Si (ASi,) lithogenic Si (LSi), Particulate Organic Carbon (POC), Total Suspended Material (TSM), Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN), salinity and fucoxanthin, a marker pigment for diatoms. Overall, we show that the estuaries have strong inter and intra variability of their biogeochemical parameters both seasonally and along salinity gradients. Based on Principal Component Analysis and clustering of categorised (upper and lower) estuaries, we discuss the four major processes controlling the Si variability of Indian estuaries: 1) lithogenic supply, 2) diatom uptake, 3) mixing of sea water and, 4) land use. The influence of lithogenic control is significantly higher during the wet period than during the dry period, due to a higher particle supply through monsoonal discharge. A significant diatom uptake is only identified in the estuaries during dry period. By taking into account the non-conservative nature of Si and by extrapolating our results, we estimate the fluxes from the Indian subcontinent of DSi, ASi, LSi to the Bay of Bengal (211 ± 32, 10 ± 4.7, 2028 ± 317 Gmol) and Arabian Sea (80 ± 15, 7 ± 1.1, 1717 ± 932 Gmol). We show the impact of land use in watersheds with higher levels of agricultural activity amplifies the supply of Si to the coastal Bay of Bengal during the wet season. In contrast, forest cover and steep slopes cause less Si supply to the Arabian Sea by restricting erosion when entering the estuary. Finally, Si:N ratios show that nitrogen is always in deficit relative to silicon for diatom growth, these high Si:N ratios likely contribute to the prevention of eutrophication in the Indian estuaries and coastal sea.

Background: This study involves forecasting electricity demand for long-term planning purposes. Long-term forecasts for hourly electricity demands from 2006 to 2023 are done with in-sample forecasts from 2006 to 2012 and out-of-sample forecasts from 2013 to 2023. Quantile regression (QR) is used to forecast hourly electricity demand at various percentiles. Three contributions of this study are (1) that QR is used to generate long-term forecasts of the full distribution per hour of electricity demand in South Africa; (2) variabilities in the forecasts are evaluated and uncertainties around the forecasts can be assessed as the full demand distribution is forecasted and (3) probabilities of exceedance can be calculated, such as the probability of future peak demand exceeding certain levels of demand. A case study, in which forecasted electricity demands over the long-term horizon were developed using South African electricity demand data, is discussed. Aim: The aim of the study was: (1) to apply a quantile regression (QR) model to forecast hourly distribution of electricity demand in South Africa; (2) to investigate variabilities in the forecasts and evaluate uncertainties around point forecasts and (3) to determine whether the future peak electricity demands are likely to increase or decrease. Setting: The study explored the probabilistic forecasting of electricity demand in South Africa. Methods: The future hourly electricity demands were forecasted at 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, … , 0.99 quantiles of the distribution using QR, hence each hour of the day would have 99 forecasted future hourly demands, instead of forecasting just a single overall hourly demand as in the case of OLS. Results: The findings are that the future distributions of hourly demands and peak daily demands would be more likely to shift towards lower demands over the years until 2023 and that QR gives accurate long-term point forecasts with the peak demands well forecasted. Conclusion: QR gives forecasts at all percentiles of the distribution, allowing the potential variabilities in the forecasts to be evaluated by comparing the 50th percentile forecasts with the forecasts at other percentiles. Additional planning information, such as expected pattern shifts and probable peak values, could also be obtained from the forecasts produced by the QR model, while such information would not easily be obtained from other forecasting approaches. The forecasted electricity demand distribution closely matched the actual demand distribution between 2012 and 2015. Therefore, the forecasted demand distribution is expected to continue representing the actual demand distribution until 2023. Using a QR approach to obtain long-term forecasts of hourly load profile patterns is, therefore, recommended.

In present business culture, usually supplier offers a permissible delay in payments to retailer in order to stimulate his demand. However, while developing the inventory model with shortages under permissible delay in payments, it has been observed, in the literature, that researcher have not considered the fact that retailer can earn interest on the revenue generated after fulfilling the outstanding demand as soon as his new consignment arrives at the beginning of the cycle. Thus, the revenue along with the interest earn can be utilized to pay off the amount at the of credit period. At this point of time there may be two scenarios, either he has enough amounts to settle the account with the supplier or delay incurring interest charges on the unpaid/overdue balance and the determination of a retailer's pay off time, after the expiring of credit period, is largely affected by his interest income and interest payable. Owing to these facts, a retailer cost minimization inventory model has been developed for each scenario which jointly optimizes the cycle length and stock-in period. The model has been validated with the help of numerical example. Sensitivity analysis along with its economic interpretation has been also presented.

In assessing the performance of a diagnostic test, the widely used classification technique is the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curve. The Binormal model is commonly used when the test scores in the diseased and healthy populations follow Normal Distribution. It is possible that in real applications the two distributions are different but having a continuous density function. In this paper we considered a model in which healthy and diseased populations follow half normal and exponential distributions respectively, hence named it as the Hybrid ROC (HROC) Curve. The properties and Area under the curve (AUC) expressions were derived. Further, to measure the distance between the defined distributions, a popular divergence measure namely Kullback Leibler Divergence (KLD) has been used. Simulation studies were conducted to study the functional behavior of Hybrid ROC curve and to show the importance of KLD in classification.

Thiophene containing "two-wall" aryl extended calix[4]pyrroles were synthesized for the first time, through acid catalyzed condensation of 2-acetylthiophenes with pyrrole. Isomeric "two-walled" calix[4]pyrroles (8a-10a and 8b-10b) were obtained in satisfactory yields and their halide anion binding strengths were investigated in the solution phase by (1)H NMR and in the gas phase by computational methods and mass spectrometry. Change in the chemical shifts of thiophene -CH-protons during the course of NMR titrations entailed participation of the thiophene rings in anion binding; this fact was further substantiated by computational methods. The α,α-(cis)-isomers (8a, 9a, and 10a) showed strong binding toward F(-) and Cl(-) anions when compared to their isomeric α,β-(trans)-isomer (8b, 9b, and 10b). In both isomers, binding with F(-) anion was found to be stronger than that with Cl(-) anion. Both the solution-phase and gas-phase results revealed that the thiophene rings stabilize the anions through anion-π interactions.

A disaster inventory system is considered in which two substitutable items are stored for disaster management. In the event of disaster management, a particular product may become stock-out and the situation warrants that a demand for the particular product during its stock-out period may be substituted with another available similar product in the inventory. From the utility point of view, continuous review inventory models are quite appropriate in disaster inventory management. In this paper, a continuous review two substitutable perishable product disaster inventory model is proposed and analyzed. Since the inventory is maintained for disaster management, an adjustable joint reordering policy for replenishment is adopted. There is no lead time and the replenishment is instantaneous. For this model, some measures of system performance are obtained. The stationary behavior of the model is also considered. Numerical examples are also provided to illustrate the results obtained.

Background & objectives: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is considered to be a protective factor against development of osteoporosis. But oral hypoglycaemic agents (OHA) are likely to increase the risk of osteoporosis. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of various OHA on bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with T2DM. Methods: Forty one patients (study group) with T2DM (mean age 51.9±5.5 yr; 31 females) receiving treatment with oral hypoglycaemic agents (OHA) [thiazolidinediones alone (n=14) or in combination with other OHA (n=27)] for a period of at least three consecutive years and 41 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (mean age 51.4±5.1 yr) were included in the study. A detailed clinical history was taken and all were subjected to physical examination and recording of anthropometric data. BMD was assessed for both patients and controls. Results: The mean body mass index (kg/m [2] ) (26.5±4.90 vs 27.3 ±5.33) and median [inter-quartile range (IQR)] duration of menopause (yr) among women [6(2-12) vs 6(1-13)] were comparable between both groups. The bone mineral density (BMD; g/cm [2] ) at the level of neck of femur (NOF) (0.761±0.112 vs 0.762±0.110), lumbar spine antero-posterior view (LSAP) (0.849±0.127 vs 0.854±0.135); median Z-score NOF {0.100[(-0.850)-(0.550)] vs -0.200[(-0.800)-(0.600)]}, LSAP {-1.200[(-1.700)-(-0.200)] vs -1.300 [(-1.85)-(-0.400)]} were also similar in study and control groups. Presence of normal BMD (9/41 vs 8/41), osteopenia (16/41 vs 18/41) and osteoporosis (16/41 vs 15/41) were comparable between the study and control groups. No significant difference was observed in the BMD, T-scores and Z-scores at NOF and LSAP among T2DM patients treated with thiazolidinediones; those treated with other OHA and controls. Interpretation & conclusions: The present findings show that the use of OHA for a period of three years or more does not significantly affect the BMD in patients with T2DM.

The demographic response of the brackish-water rotifers Proales similis and Brachionus plicatilis to mercury (0.5, 2, 8 and 32 μg L−1 of HgCl2) at different salinity levels (10 and 20‰) and two temperature (25 °C and 32 °C) regimes were evaluated. Median lethal concentration (LC50) for P. similis and B. plicatilis was 10 and 16 μg L−1, respectively, showing that Proales similis was more sensitive to mercury than B. plicatilis. The rate of population increase (r) for both species was greater at 10‰ salinity and 32 °C (ranged from 0.6 to 0.95 d−1). The r-value decreased as the concentration of mercury in the medium increased. Regardless of the temperature, at lower salinity and higher mercury concentration (32 μg L−1), P. similis died within six days. The survivorship of P. similis and B. plicatilis was higher at 25 °C than at 32 °C (ranged from 5 to 8 and 7–13 d, respectively). Fecundity was higher at 32 °C than at 25 °C for both rotifers species. There was a significant effect of the interaction among salinity, temperature, and mercury in both species on the reproductive variables such as net and gross reproductive rates, generation time and the rate of population increase. Considering the sensitivity of P. similis, we suggest that this species be included in the list of marine bioassay organisms.

A new series of Schizandrin (1) derivatives were synthesized utilizing the C-9 position of the Schizandrin core and evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against HeLa (cervical cancer), A549 (lung cancer), MCF-7 (breast cancer) and DU-145 (prostate cancer) cell lines. Among the synthesized series, 4e, 4f, 4g and 5 showed potent activities against tested cell lines. More significantly, compound 5 exhibited most potent cytotoxic activity against DU-145 with an IC50 value of 1.38 μM which is comparable to the standard agent, doxorubicin. Further, flow cytometry analysis indicated that 5 arrested cells in G2/M phase and consequently leading to apoptosis. Molecular docking analysis showed that 5 occupied the colchicine binding pocket of tubulin. Overall, the present study demonstrates that 5, as a mitotic-agent.

Objective The current clinical trial was aimed at evaluating the safety and beneficial effect of Cassia tora (C. tora) supplementation in healthy adults. Design A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study with a crossover design was done on 60 healthy normal weight adults (age range: 20-55 yrs). The study consisted of 2 treatment phases of 24 weeks each with a washout period of 4 weeks between the phases. 30 subjects randomly allocated to the 'Placebo first' group and 30 to 'C. tora first' group and assigned to receive a dose of C. tora (330 mg) or matched placebo three times a day. Safety markers were measured at base line and at the end of both the treatment phases. Body mass index, blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, glycated hemoglobin, lipid profile and antioxidants were measured at baseline and at every three months interval. Repeated measures analysis was applied to assess the period and carryover effects of the drug over placebo on biochemistries. Results C. tora supplementation was well tolerated and no apparent changes were observed in safety markers. The net effect of C. tora in natural units over placebo was 0.83 [0.57, 1.09]- high density lipoprotein cholesterol; 27.63 [24.39, 30.88]- superoxide dismutase; 0.32 [0.28, 0.36]- catalase; 0.68 [0.56, 0.80]- glutathione peroxidase; 0.25 [0.22, 0.29]- glutathione s-transferase; 0.32 [0.29, 0.36]- glutathione and -1.08 [-1.63, -0.54]- low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Conclusion The findings advocate that C. tora supplementation is safe and beneficial in elevating high density lipoprotein cholesterol and antioxidants and hence advised for consumption.

OBJECTIVES This study explores the acute endocrine reactivity of testosterone and cortisol in women engaging in everyday physical activity in a high altitude environment. METHODS Data were collected from 35 women living in the Himalayas, with women recruited from both high (>10 000 ft.) and low altitude villages (

The influence of hydrodynamics on phytoplankton bloom occurrence/formation has not been adequately reported. Here, we document diurnal observations in the tropical Bay of Bengal’s mid-western shelf region which reveal microphytoplankton cell density maxima in association with neap tide many times more than what could be accounted for by solar insolation and nutrient levels. When in summer, phytoplankton cells were abundant and the cell density of Guinardia delicatula reached critical value by tide caused zonation, aggregation happened to an intense bloom. Mucilaginous exudates from the alga due to heat and silicate stress likely promoted and stable water column and weak winds left undisturbed, the transient bloom. The phytoplankton aggregates have implication as food resource in the benthic region implying higher fishery potential, in carbon dioxide sequestration (carbon burial) and in efforts towards improving remote sensing algorithms for chlorophyll in the coastal region.

Enzymes sample multiple conformations during their catalytic cycles. Chemical shifts from Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) are hypersensitive to conformational changes and ensembles in solution. Phosphomannomutase/phosphoglucomutase (PMM/PGM) is a ubiquitous four-domain enzyme that catalyzes phosphoryl transfer across phosphohexose substrates. We compared states the enzyme visits during its catalytic cycle. Collective responses of Pseudomonas PMM/PGM to phosphosugar substrates and inhibitor were assessed using NMR-detected titrations. Affinities were estimated from binding isotherms obtained by principal component analysis (PCA). Relationships among phosphosugar-enzyme associations emerge from PCA comparisons of the titrations. COordiNated Chemical Shifts bEhavior (CONCISE) analysis provides novel discrimination of three ligand-bound states of PMM/PGM harboring a mutation that suppresses activity. Enzyme phosphorylation and phosphosugar binding appear to drive the open dephosphorylated enzyme to the free phosphorylated state, and on toward ligand-closed states. Domain 4 appears central to collective responses to substrate and inhibitor binding. Hydrogen exchange reveals that binding of a substrate analogue enhances folding stability of the domains to a uniform level, establishing a globally unified structure. CONCISE and PCA of NMR spectra have discovered novel states of a well-studied enzyme and appear ready to discriminate other enzyme and ligand binding states.

Early life cues of environmental harshness and unpredictability have been hypothesized to influence within-species variation in the timing of life history transitions and the dynamics of reproductive strategies, such as investments in mating and parenting. It is also believed that adolesence is an influential developmental period for male reproductive strategies, with those who achieve greater social and sexual success during that period maintaining faster life history strategies into adulthood. If correct, such early life and post-pubertal experiences could also help shape the psychobiological pathways that mediate reproductive strategies, including the well documented physiological shifts that occur when some men become parents. Drawing on a large sample of Filipino men (n=417), we evaluate whether men who experienced cues of harshness or unpredictability in childhood or have earlier ages at sexual debut have elevated testosterone (T) as fathers. We also test whether males who experienced a combination of early life experiences of harshness or unpredictability and had earlier ages of sexual debut during adolescence had the most elevated T as fathers. We found that fathers who experienced early life harshness and who engaged in sex at an earlier age had elevated waking T. Among men transitioning to fatherhood across the 4.5-year follow-up period of this study, those who experienced unpredictability and who engaged in sex at an earlier age showed attenuated declines in waking T between baseline and follow-up. Complementing these findings, we found that fathers who first engaged in sex at later ages had greater acute declines in T when they played with their toddlers. We suggest that these patterns could reflect programming effects of sociosexual experiences during the years following the marked biological transitions that accompany puberty, which occur along with the better-studied effects of earlier life exposures to stressors. Overall, our results support the hypothesis that early life circumstances and social and sexual experiences, from early life to young adulthood, help calibrate physiological axes as key mechanisms coordinating dynamic life history strategies.

Unlike temperate regions, tropical ecosystems are characterized by high temperatures (>18 °C) all year, promoting blooms of cyanobacteria which often produce secondary metabolites toxic to zooplankton. Nabor Carillo and the Recreational Lake are part of the saline, Lake Texcoco, in Central Mexico which is filled nowadays with treated waste water. Both water bodies are dominated by Planktothrix, Anabaenopsis, Spirulina and Microcystis. In this study we present the concentration of microcystins in these waterbodies over an annual cycle. We also evaluated the chronic effects of cyanobacterial crude extracts from both lakes on two clones of the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus, one from Nabor Carrillo Lake and the other from a canal in the shallow, Lake Xochimilco. The experiments on population growth were performed, beginning with 10 individuals per container for each of the following treatments: control (no crude extract), concentrated crude extract, and diluted crude extract (50:50) with moderately hard water and Chlorella vulgaris in a concentration of 0.5 × 106 cells ml−1. The cyanotoxin levels were measured using an ELISA test and ranged between 0.20 and 2.4 μg L−1 in the lake water. The results showed that the Recreational Lake extracts were more toxic, killing the rotifers in less than five days. The r values ranged from −1.74 to 0.48 in the presence of the crude extracts and 0.16 and 0.24 in the controls. The results have been discussed with emphasis on the importance of conducting regular studies to test ecotoxicological impacts of cyanobacterial blooms in tropical waters.

Large Area X-ray Propositional Counter (LAXPC) instrument on AstroSat is aimed at providing high time resolution X-ray observations in 3 to 80 keV energy band with moderate energy resolution. To achieve large collecting area, a cluster of three co-aligned identical LAXPC detectors, is used to realize an effective area in access of about 6000 cm2 at 15 keV. The large detection volume of the LAXPC detectors, filled with xenon gas at about 2 atmosphere pressure, results in detection efficiency greater than 50%, above 30 keV. In this article, we present salient features of the LAXPC detectors, their testing and characterization in the laboratory prior to launch and calibration in the orbit. Some preliminary results on timing and spectral characteristics of a few X-ray binaries and other type of sources, are briefly discussed to demonstrate that the LAXPC instrument is performing as planned in the orbit., 11 pages, 15 Figures, Accepted for publication in Journal of Astronomy and Astrophysics

In this study, we quantified intergenerational, demographic variability of Moina macrocopa subjected to cadmium stress. Exposure of M macrocopa to cadmium (0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 mg/L as CdCl2) through 4 consecutive generations revealed changes in demographic responses not only in survivorship variables but also in reproductive parameters. Long-term demographic responses varied differently, depending on the demographic trait and the concentration of heavy metal in the medium. With the exception of generation time, all life history traits were significantly and adversely influenced due to increase in Cd concentrations. The average life span of M macrocopa varied up to 40% depending on Cd level and the generation of exposure. The highest gross reproductive rates were recorded in controls, while the lowest (∼30% less) were recorded at the highest Cd level. Survival-weighted net reproductive rates were reduced by nearly 50% due to Cd toxicity. The rate of population increase per day of M macrocopa was also significantly affected (∼25%) by Cd as compared to controls. This cladoceran showed a dose–response to Cd toxicity with a significance in both magnitude and frequency of offspring production.

This Paper presents a new digital image scrambling algorithm based on Sequence Generation. Using this technique Scrambling is possible both in pixel location and Pixel values. By providing suitable key based on sequence generation descrambling is done with zero mean square error. Experimental results show that this new algorithm is efficient in scrambling and descrambling process for secure transformation of images.

Background: The automotive parts supply chain measures its success in terms of parts availability and stock required to achieve the availability target, measured as allocation fill rate (AFR). The supply chain strives to achieve an AFR target of 95.5% while maintaining low levels of stock.Objective: The first objective of this study is to evaluate the current inventory management approach, namely the maximum inventory position (MIP) method, to understand the difference between the theoretical derivation and the actual implementation. The second objective is to develop and compare the performance of a new stock target setting (STS) method relative to the MIP methods.Method: The theoretical and actual equations behind the MIP and STS methods are derived for steady state as well as stochastic conditions. A system dynamics simulation model (SDSM) was developed to describe both the local and imported supply chains. The SDSM was used to simulate and confirm the parameters for the STS method. It was also used to compare the three inventory management methods against a theoretical environment and actual data sets.Results: The STS method requires a damping factor (DF) to ensure it does not cause the bullwhip effect. The SDSM was used to determine that a value equal to the lead time ensures effective damping. In the theoretical environment, the MIPTheory method requires the lowest stock, but also has the lowest AFR. MIPActual achieves the highest AFR, but with significantly higher stock holding. The STS method improves on the AFR achieved by the MIPTheory method, with lower stock holding than the MIPActual method. With the actual demand data sets, the results vary by parts movement type. With fast moving parts, all methods achieve the AFR target, the MIPActual method has a higher stock holding for all cases, and the STS method results in reduced stock holding for 7 of 12 cases. With medium moving parts, the MIPActual method improves on the AFR in all 15 cases, but with significantly higher stock. The STS method increases the AFR in 7 of 15 cases and reduces the stockholding in 11 of 15 cases. With slow moving parts, both the MIPActual and STS methods improve the AFR with increased stock holding. The increase in stock holding for the STS method is significantly lower. With erratic moving parts, the MIPActual method improves on the AFR in all 17 cases, but requires significantly higher stock holding. The STS method achieves lower AFR values in 10 of 17 cases, but also requires lower or equal stock holding in 10 of 17 cases.Conclusion: The STS method provides a new approach to inventory management in the automotive supply chain. It provides improved performance for lower stock holding than the implemented MIP method (MIPActual). The results for the different movement category suggest that there is further research to be done to confirm the effectiveness of the various methods with other demand distributions.

Background: Designing and implementation of reverse logistics (RL) network which meets the sustainability targets have been a matter of emerging concern for the electronics companies in India. Objectives: The present study developed a two-phase model for configuration of sustainable RL network design for an Indian manufacturing company to manage its end-of-life and endof-use electronic products. The notable feature of the model was the evaluation of facilities under financial, environmental and social considerations and integration of the facility selection decisions with the network design. Method: In the first phase, an integrated Analytical Hierarchical Process Complex Proportional Assessment methodology was used for the evaluation of the alternative locations in terms of their degree of utility, which in turn was based on the three dimensions of sustainability. In the second phase, the RL network was configured as a bi-objective programming problem, and fuzzy optimisation approach was utilised for obtaining a properly efficient solution to the problem. Results: The compromised solution attained by the proposed fuzzy model demonstrated that the cost differential for choosing recovery facilities with better environmental and social performance was not significant; therefore, Indian manufacturers must not compromise on the sustainability aspects for facility location decisions. Conclusion: The results reaffirmed that the bi-objective fuzzy decision-making model can serve as a decision tool for the Indian manufacturers in designing a sustainable RL network. The multi-objective optimisation model captured a reasonable trade-off between the fuzzy goals of minimising the cost of the RL network and maximising the sustainable performance of the facilities chosen.

The Bay of Bengal is forced by the South Asian monsoon and associated seasonally reversing winds and freshwater fluxes. Here, we summarize a high-resolution, basin-wide survey of the Bay of Bengal conducted during the 2013 northeast (winter) monsoon. The observed mixed layer waters were sourced from the eastern Bay; and, generally, the upper ocean temperature-salinity properties followed regional trends as determined by Argo. Intense lateral mixed layer gradients were seen throughout the Bay. The majority of the observed fronts were salinity-controlled with compensating temperature gradients. Similarly, salinity was typically the primary control on the vertical density stratification near the mixed layer depth. In contrast to the shallow, sharp halocline, temperature stratification was enhanced over a larger depth range with the base of the near-surface isothermal layer often located beneath the mixed layer, indicating the presence of a barrier layer. Finescale layers in vertical temperature and salinity stratification were traced over distances greater than 100 km in the horizontal. Within a ~ week-long period, we observed a significant reduction in the intensity of gradients (both lateral and vertical) as well as a shift in the relative importance of salinity in setting the observed gradients. By the end of the 17-day cruise when the ship was in the southern Bay of Bengal, temperature was an equal or dominant contributor to lateral and vertical gradients. Stratification and mixed layer fronts evolved over a relatively short time scale, likely in response to strong atmospheric forcing either associated with a tropical cyclone, sustained northeast monsoon conditions, or a combination of the two. Resolution of the observed lateral gradients requires sampling at lateral scales O ( 1 km ) or smaller, suggestive of the importance of the submesoscale.

Natural populations of planktonic rotifers are affected by salinity and food density, among other stressors. Moreover, competition among congeneric species limits the abundance of certain rotifers in ecosystems without spatial heterogeneity and environmental fluctuations. We isolated Brachionus plicatilis and Brachionus calyciflorus from Salado River basin waterbodies and studied the demographic characteristics and competition between them at three salinity levels (0.75, 1.75 and 2.75 g L-1 NaCl) and at two food concentrations (0.1 × 106 and 0.5 × 106 cells mL-1 Chlorella vulgaris). The lowest salinity level proved to be unfavourable for the population growth of B. plicatilis, but at higher salinity levels the growth was similar to that of controls (without competition), even in the presence of the competitor and at either food concentration. By contrast, the competitor almost always decreased the density of B. calyciflorus. Salinity greatly affected the peak density of B. plicatilis, whereas the effects of salinity and competition on B. calyciflorus were similar. Biomass was inversely related to salinity for both species, and was significantly affected by competition in B. plicatilis. These results show that B. calyciflorus is more adversely affected than B. plicatilis by competition and high salinity, and explain why both species can coexist in eutrophic saline lowland rivers and pampean shallow lakes. Fil: Ferrando, Noelia Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Limnología; Argentina Fil: Nandini, S.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; México Fil: Claps, Maria Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raúl A. Ringuelet". Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Limnología; Argentina Fil: Sarma, S. S. S.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; México

The heat transfer coefficient and friction factor of TiO2 and SiO2 water based nanofluids flowing in a circular tube under turbulent flow are investigated experimentally under constant heat flux boundary condition. TiO2 and SiO2 nanofluids with an average particle size of 50 nm and 22 nm respectively are used in the working fluid for volume concentrations up to 3.0%. Experiments are conducted at a bulk temperature of 30 °C in the turbulent Reynolds number range of 5000 to 25,000. The enhancements in viscosity and thermal conductivity of TiO2 are greater than SiO2 nanofluid. However, a maximum enhancement of 26% in heat transfer coefficients is obtained with TiO2 nanofluid at 1.0% concentration, while SiO2 nanofluid gave 33% enhancement at 3.0% concentration. The heat transfer coefficients are lower at all other concentrations. The particle concentration at which the nanofluids give maximum heat transfer has been determined and validated with property enhancement ratio. It is observed that the pressure drop is directly proportional to the density of the nanoparticle.

A numerical model has been developed for turbulent flow of nanofluids in a tube with twisted tape inserts. The model is based on the assumption that van Driest eddy diffusivity equation can be applied by considering the coefficient and the Prandtl index in momentum and heat respectively as a variable. The results from the numerical analysis are compared with experiments undertaken with SiO 2 /water nanofluid for a wide range of Reynolds number, Re . Generalized equation for the estimation of nanofluid friction factor and Nusselt number is proposed with the experimental data for twisted tapes. The coefficient and the Prandtl index in the eddy diffusivity equation of momentum and heat is obtained from the numerical values as a function of Reynolds number, concentration and twist ratio. An enhancement of 94.1% in heat transfer coefficient and 160% higher friction factor at Re = 19,046 is observed at a twist ratio of five with 3.0% volumetric concentration when compared to flow of water in a tube. A good agreement with the limited experimental data of other investigators is observed with Al 2 O 3 and Fe 3 O 4 nanofluids indicating the validity of the numerical model for use with twisted tape inserts.

Simocephalus vetulus is a large (2.0–4.0 mm at maturity) cladoceran often found in the littoral region of lakes and ponds, and capable of moderate growth rates even on poor-quality cyanobacterial diets. It frequently co-occurs with fishes and similar sized ostracods such as Heterocypris incongruens, but little is known of its response to fish kairomones or its interactions with potential competitors. We studied the demographic responses of S. vetulus fed the green alga Scenedesmus acutus, Microcystis cf. aeruginosa strain A, Microcystis cf. aeruginosa strain B, or Limnothrix sp. Experiments were conducted separately and together in the presence of Heterocypris incongruens and cichlid fish (Oreochromis) kairomones. A diet of Limnothrix sp. resulted in the lowest population growth rate (0.21±0.023 d−1), while on diets of S. acutus or Microcystis, population growth was higher (0.30±0.009 d−1). The presence of ostracods resulted in significantly higher growth rates of S. vetulus fed Limnothrix (0.33±0.01 d−1), but not Microcystis or S. acutus. Regardless of the diet, the presence of fish kairomones resulted in significantly higher growth rates as compared with controls, particularly when ostracods were also present. Coexistence with ostracods may be beneficial to S. vetulus, particularly when food quality is poor.

Oil exploration and development have taken place extensively in the near-shore waters of the Bay of Bengal for over two decades, with onshore coastal aquifers serving as a primary source of water injected into near-shore production wells for enhanced oil recovery. Field and modeling studies were initiated to assess the effects of potential seawater intrusion into the coastal aquifers and to improve strategies for groundwater development and management. Groundwater levels were measured at 42 locations in the central Godavari delta (295 km2) over a period of 2 years (2006–2007). These data indicated that the predominant groundwater flow direction consistently points toward the coast with no significant change in groundwater table elevations during the study period. Groundwater samples analyzed for major ions revealed the groundwater to be brackish in nature with an average salinity of ~5,000 mg L−1. A numerical model of variable density, groundwater flow, and solute transport (SEAWAT) was developed for the study region. After calibrating against observed hydraulic head data for the year 2006 at steady state, the model was used to predict the extent of seawater intrusion in the study area over the next 50 years. The estimated regional groundwater budget indicates a significant amount of groundwater outfall to the Bay of Bengal. The model predicts that the area will not be affected by seawater intrusion at the present rate of groundwater exploitation near the coast.

We determined the population growth of Plationus patulus and Brachionus havanaensis grown alone or together (1:1 ratio) on different feeds of solely Chlorella , solely Anabaena , or their mixture at a level of 1 × 10 6 cells mL -1 for all diets. Our results showed that regardless of diet, population densities of B . havanaensis were higher than those of P . patulus . For both rotifer species, Anabaena caused extinction of populations, regardless whether offered alone or in combination with the green alga. In mixed rotifer cultures, the peak densities of P . patulus or B . havanaensis were much lower than when cultured alone. Rate of population increase (r) of P . patulus fed Chlorella was significantly lower (0.12 d -1 ; p < 0.001) than for B . havanaensis (0.19 d -1 ) grown under similar conditions. Growth rates of both rotifers fed Anabaena (alone or together with Chlorella ) became significantly lower than when fed solely Chlorella . Thus, our results showed that P . patulus and B . havanaensis have similar sensitivities to Anabaena , with both species failing to grow when this cyanobacterium was included in the diet.

Nanofluids have gained extensive attention due to their role in improving the efficiency of thermal systems. The present study reports a further enhancement in heat transfer coefficients in combination with structural modifications of flow systems namely, the addition of tape inserts. Experiments are undertaken to determine heat transfer coefficients and friction factor of TiO2/water nanofluid up to 3.0% volume concentration at an average temperature of 30 °C. The investigations are undertaken in the Reynolds number range of 8000–30,000 for flow in tubes and with tapes of different twist ratios. A significant enhancement of 23.2% in the heat transfer coefficients is observed at 1.0% concentration for flow in a tube. With the use of twisted tapes, the heat transfer coefficient increased with decrease in twist ratio for water and nanofluid. The heat transfer coefficient and friction factor are respectively 81.1% and 1.5 times greater at Re = 23,558 with 1.0% concentration and twist ratio of 5, compared to values with flow of water in a tube. An increase in the nanofluid concentration to 3.0% decreased heat transfer coefficients to values lower than water for flow in a tube and with tape inserts. A thermal system with tape insert of twist ratio 15 and 1.0% TiO2 concentration gives maximum advantage ratio, if pressure drop is considered along with enhancement in heat transfer coefficient.

We analyzed the diversity and density of monogonont rotifers collected from 10 sites, 5 in the littoral zone and 5 in the pelagic zone, during a 1-year period from March 2010 to April 2011 in the reservoir Valerio Trujano, altitude 820 m a.s.l. (Tepecoacuilco de Trujano, State of Guerrero, Mexico). We also measured physicochemical variables such as temperature, pH, hardness, nitrates, and phosphates. The rotifers were identified to species level and quantified using a Sedgwick-Rafter chamber. We found 62 species belonging to 28 genera and 19 families, representing 22% of total species reported for Mexico. The most abundant species were Brachionus caudatus , B . falcatus , Horaella thomassoni , Filinia longiseta , Conochilus dossuarius , and Keratella cochlearis . The highest rotifer densities were those of B . caudatus (around 300 ind. L -1 ) in June and July. The common phytoplankton genera were Pediastrum , Cosmarium , Closterium , Nitzschia , Suriella , Microcystis , Oscillatoria , and Merismopedia . The species diversity of Rotifera in the reservoir ranged from 1.3 to 3.2 in both the littoral and the pelagic regions. The saprobic index varied from 1.2 to 2 in the pelagic and 1.4 to 2.1 in the littoral region of the reservoir. Nutrient levels and indicator species ( Brachionus and Trichocerca ) showed that the reservoir, which was nitrogen rather than phosphorus limited, is eutrophic and moderately polluted by organic matter.

We conducted population growth experiments for 2–4 weeks using 4 species of brachionid rotifers ( Brachionus angularis , B . havanaensis , B . rubens , and Plationus patulus ), all isolated from Lake Xochimilco, Mexico City, Mexico. The test rotifers were fed 2 species of green algae ( Chlorella vulgaris and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata ) at 3 food concentrations (2.9, 5.8, and 11.6 µg dry weight mL −1 ) for 24 h. Regardless of algal species, the population density of all 4 rotifer species increased with increasing food density; however, the magnitude of growth rate response of the rotifers differed. At comparable food levels, B . havanaensis had far greater abundances in 3 weeks than the other 3 rotifer species. At a concentration of 2.9 µg mL −1 of C . vulgaris , density of B . angularis was about 50 ind. mL −1 , but when the food was enhanced to 11.6 µg mL −1 , its population was 3 times higher; similar values were obtained when B . angularis was fed P . subcapitata . In comparison, B . havanaensis fed P . subcapitata at the highest food level had population abundances of about 900 ind. mL −1 ; at the same food level, when fed C . vulgaris , the density was much lower (250 ind. mL −1 ). Population abundances of B . rubens fed P . subcapitata were, in general, lower than those fed C . vulgaris . This was also the trend for rotifer P . patulus , which had lower abundances when fed P . subcapitata than when fed C . vulgaris . Regardless of food type and concentration, the rate of population increase per day (r) of the tested rotifer species varied from 0.16 to 0.61 d −1 .

(R,R)- and (S,S)-aminopyrancarboxylic acids (APyCs) were used in the design of mixed β- and α/β-peptides in alternation with β-hGly and L-Ala/D-Ala, respectively. The enantiomeric β- and α/β-tetrapeptides were then coupled in a 1:1 fashion to give octapeptides with 12/10- and 9/11-mixed helices, respectively. The structure of the helices, with their characteristic hydrogen-bonding patterns and an additional stabilizing interaction between peptide-bond NH groups and pyran-ring oxygen atoms, was investigated by NMR spectroscopy, molecular dynamics, and quantum chemical studies. The presence of equal parts of left- and right-handed helices was confirmed by the cancellation of their respective CD patterns. Despite the disruption of the hydrogen bonding in the transition region, the helical conformation was maintained in the octamers. This study demonstrates the possibility of accommodating helices of opposite handedness within the same peptide.

Experimental investigations have been carried out on the effect of rotation of a composite promoter – twisted tape mounted on a rod placed coaxially in an electrochemical cell on the liquid–wall mass transfer in homogeneous flow. Limiting current measurements were obtained at point nickel electrodes fixed flush with the inner wall of the electrochemical cell. The promoter rod was housed between two bearings and rotation was carried out using transmission gear mechanism. The swirl was induced by a twisted tape composite promoter element placed concentrically in the cell and the turbulent vortex flow was induced by rotating the promoter element. The present investigation is envisaged to study (i) the improvements in mass transfer coefficients due to rotation of the composite promoter (ii) the effect of geometrical parameters of rotating composite promoter such as pitch, width of the tape, the diameter of the rod on which the tape was mounted. A dimensionless dynamic parameter, ψ, defined as the ratio of rotational velocity to the corrected axial velocity, is used as a criterion for segregating the data into appropriate zones. The correlation equations were developed using the jD–Re format of equation.

Electrical resistivity method is a versatile and economical technique for groundwater prospecting in different geological settings due to wide spectrum of resistivity compared to other geophysical parameters. Exploration and exploitation of groundwater, a vital and precious resource, is a challenging task in hard rock, which exhibits inherent heterogeneity. In the present study, two-dimensional Electrical Resistivity Tomography (2D-ERT) technique using two different arrays, viz., pole–dipole and pole–pole, were deployed to look into high signal strength data in a tectonically disturbed hard rock ridge region for groundwater. Four selected sites were investigated. 2D subsurface resistivity tomography data were collected using Syscal Pro Switch-10 channel system and covered a 2 km long profile in a tough terrain. The hydrogeological interpretation based on resistivity models reveal the water horizons trap within the clayey sand and weathered/fractured quartzite formations. Aquifer resistivity lies between ∼3–35 and 100–200 Ωm. The results of the resistivity models decipher potential aquifer lying between 40 and 88 m depth, nevertheless, it corroborates with the static water level measurements in the area of study. The advantage of using pole–pole in conjunction with the pole–dipole array is well appreciated and proved worth which gives clear insight of the aquifer extent, variability and their dimension from shallow to deeper strata from the hydrogeological perspective in the present geological context.