Covariation in subskin‐bulk temperature difference with environmental parameters in the north Indian Ocean

This study aims to explore the dependence of the ocean subskin–bulk temperature difference ΔT (T _subskin?T _2.5m) on environmental parameters over the north Indian Ocean. This was possible because of the fortuitous concurrence of two parallel programmes, viz., the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) carrying a Microwave Imager (TMI) and the Indian moored buoy programme, over 6 years (1998–2003). The environmental parameters considered in this study are total water vapour (TWV), cloud liquid water content (CLW), sea surface wind speed, bulk temperature (T _2.5m) and T _2.5m?T _air temperature difference, consisting of a composite data matrix of more than 3000 sets. The study revealed absence of any perceptible dependence on TWV and CLW. For T _2.5m between 24°C and 28°C, the mean Δ T is a decreasing function of T _2.5m. Data classification indicates that most of the cases of T _2.5m<28°C belong to Bay of Bengal during December to February. For the T _2.5m>28°C, Δ T is very small. Our results on the variation of Δ T with T _2.5m?T _air are linear and in opposite phase. The daytime Δ T variation over the north Indian Ocean displays a decreasing trend with increasing wind. The night‐time Δ T pattern, especially over the Bay of Bengal, is found to be very unusual: it remains insensitive to the variations in wind speed, and it is predominantly positive. Diurnal variation of Δ T under wind speed below 6 m s^?1 is studied for overall data set as well as for the individual season data set. The low wind cases reproduce onset of warming at 9 h local time and a peak around 15 h local time. The average maximum amplitude of Δ T is more than 0.34°C with a standard deviation of greater than 0.7°C. Diurnal warming during pre‐monsoon (post‐monsoon) is highest (lowest).     

Development of a computer algorithm based on a conjugate gradient approach for optimization of fed-batch fermentations

The problem of optimization of fed-batch fermentations using the substrate feed rate as the control variable is singular in nature. Previous approaches, including the boundary condition iteration method and transformation to a nonsingular problem using a different control variable, do not work well for solving optimization of systems governed by more than four differential equations. The applicability of a first-order conjugate gradient algorithm for optimizing fed-batch fermentations was tested for systems of varing complexity. This approach does not need any variable transformation ora priori knowledge of the control arc sequence. Constraints on the feed rate are handled in a simple and direct manner. The algorithm worked very well for three, four, and five-dimensional singular systems. The correctness of the optimal profile was judged by observing the variation in the sign of the gradient of the Hamiltonian. The gradient was found to be zero during the singular period and had the appropriate sign on the boundary arcs. The optimization method based on conjugated gradient approach can be complementary to the boundary condition iteration method for determination of the exact optimum profile.     

CAFE compliance by light trucks: economic impacts of clean diesel engine

With the popularity of light trucks increasing in the United States, their share of the US light vehicle market had doubled between 1980 and 1996, climbing from 20 to 40%. By 1996, annual energy consumption for light trucks had risen to 5.97×10¹⁵ Btu [5.97 quadrillion Btu, or “quad,” or 6.30×10¹⁸ joule (J)], compared to 7.94 quad (8.38×10¹⁸ J) for cars. In recent years (since 1995), the fuel economy of US - manufactured light trucks (almost 99% of which use gasoline engines) has been below the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. This paper analyzes a strategy to reduce the CAFE shortfalls by adopting the new, highly energy-efficient clean diesel engine. Research on such engines has been funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Heavy Vehicle Technologies, under its Light Truck Clean Diesel Engine Program. A clean diesel engine market penetration trajectory is developed, representing an industry response to meet the CAFE standards. Whether the engine will be produced inside the country or imported remains uncertain, so two cases are defined. Values of exports/imports of clean diesel engines/trucks under these cases are estimated. The macroeconomic benefits are estimated by using a model of the US economy developed by Standard & Poor's Data Resources, Inc. On the basis of gains in the gross domestic product projected under the alternative cases, domestic production of the clean diesel engine is favored over importing it.     

Preparation and evaluation of floating risedronate sodium-Gelucire 43/01 formulations

Single and multi-unit floating matrices of risedronate sodium were prepared using Gelucire® 43/01 by melt solidification and melt granulation technique, respectively. The controlled release floating matrices were evaluated for in vitro and in vivo floating ability and in vitro drug release. Effect of aging on Gelucire® 43/01 was evaluated by hot stage microscopy (HSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), in vitro floating ability, and in vitro drug release. Multi-unit system obtained has shown initial burst release, which was suppressed in single unit system. Both single- as well as multi-unit systems showed increase in rate of drug release on aging due to changes in the properties of the Gelucire® 43/01. Multi-unit matrices obtained by melt granulation were relatively easier for scale up and advantageous if the initial burst release does not cause any significant clinical adversity.     

A low-high-junction solar-cell model developed for use in tandem cell analysis

A comprehensive low-high (L-H) junction solar cell model has been developed. It accounts for actual solar spectrum related photogeneration of carriers in all regions of the n-p-p⁺ cell and allows for any value of rear surface-recombination-velocity (SRV). In typical GaAs L-H junction solar cells, photogeneration in the p⁺ region, but not the p region, is found to be negligible. The L-H junction's space-charge-layer recombination current density is also negligible. Assigning a non-infinite value of rear surface SRV makes this model applicable to tandem multi-junction structures made from materials with different band gaps.     

Review of Patterns of Caste Tension.

Reviews the book, Patterns of Caste Tension by K. K. Singh (1967). This volume represents the report of a study of caste tensions in two villages of Uttar Pradesh in 1954-55, which was also author's Ph.D. thesis, submitted to Cornell University in 1957. The author admits that conditions have changed considerably "since the field research for this study was done", but he has not made any attempt to study these changes experimentally and to compare them with his earlier findings. This is all the more surprising in view of the fact that he has been working in the same region since 1957. The study was conducted with the male population only. As Indian women are usually more conservative in their caste attitudes than men, the inclusion of a sample of female population would have been quite helpful. Dr. Singh's thesis is that the basis of inter-caste tensions is mainly economic. He fails to recognize that the progressive legislations have given a new power to the lower castes, which has shaken their traditional beliefs about their subordination to the higher castes. They realize and want to use their newly won freedom in social, economic and political relationships. The author's analysis of personality factors in tensions and his comparison of case histories of high tension and low tension individuals are quite relevant. It would have been interesting to validate the case histories with the results of some personality test scores. The book certainly contains some valuable materials and would be quite helpful to students and scholars who are interested in the study of the caste phenomena. The price would be a forbidding factor against its wider use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Weighted maximum posterior marginals for random fields using an ensemble of conditional densities from multiple Markov chain Monte Carlo simulations

The ability of classification systems to adjust their performance (sensitivity/specificity) is essential for tasks in which certain errors are more significant than others. For example, mislabeling cancerous lesions as benign is typically more detrimental than mislabeling benign lesions as cancerous. Unfortunately, methods for modifying the performance of Markov random field (MRF) based classifiers are noticeably absent from the literature, and thus most such systems restrict their performance to a single, static operating point (a paired sensitivity/specificity). To address this deficiency we present weighted maximum posterior marginals (WMPM) estimation, an extension of maximum posterior marginals (MPM) estimation. Whereas the MPM cost function penalizes each error equally, the WMPM cost function allows misclassifications associated with certain classes to be weighted more heavily than others. This creates a preference for specific classes, and consequently a means for adjusting classifier performance. Realizing WMPM estimation (like MPM estimation) requires estimates of the posterior marginal distributions. The most prevalent means for estimating these--proposed by Marroquin--utilizes a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. Though Marroquin's method (M-MCMC) yields estimates that are sufficiently accurate for MPM estimation, they are inadequate for WMPM. To more accurately estimate the posterior marginals we present an equally simple, but more effective extension of the MCMC method (E-MCMC). Assuming an identical number of iterations, E-MCMC as compared to M-MCMC yields estimates with higher fidelity, thereby 1) allowing a far greater number and diversity of operating points and 2) improving overall classifier performance. To illustrate the utility of WMPM and compare the efficacies of M-MCMC and E-MCMC, we integrate them into our MRF-based classification system for detecting cancerous glands in (whole-mount or quarter) histological sections of the prostate.     

Physico-Chemical Characterization and Stability Study of Glassy Simvastatin

The objective of the present study was to investigate the glass forming capability of a model drug simvastatin. The glassy material produced by melt quench technique was subjected to physico-chemical characterization and subsequent stability and enthalpy relaxation study. The chemical stability of drug during preparation of glass was tested by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The presence of amorphous form was confirmed by DSC and XRPD. Surprisingly, glassy simvastatin was almost stable throughout the period of stability, inspite of its T_g being relatively low. The stability and very low enthalpy recovery of glassy simvastatin perhaps could be attributed to strong inter-molecular hydrogen bonding.     

Facile Development of Iron-Platinum Nanoparticles to Harness Multifunctionality in Single Entity

Engineered magnetic nanosystems exhibit attractive options for implementing unique diagnostic options and therapeutic solutions in biomedical applications. Here we report a facile, thermo-free and aqueous synthetic method to prepare ascorbic acid-stabilized iron-platinum nanoparticles. The effects of reducing agent, pH and sequence of precursor addition are investigated, and optimized reaction condition is identified to obtain a unique iron-platinum(Pt-FePt)nanosystems. The multifunctionality of the developed nanosystem has been realized by catalytic efficiency of platinum for therapeutic application and superparamagnetic property of Fe Pt for magnetic resonance imaging contrast enhancement.Moreover, the multifunctional imaging and therapeutic activities have been achieved at physiological pH. The developed multifunctional nanoparticles are monodisperse with uniform morphology as well as stable in solution and non-toxic.