Incremental Ratio Research Articles

Effects of Baclofen on Central Paroxysmal Positional Downbeat Nystagmus

Paroxysmal positional nystagmus frequently occurs in lesions involving the cerebellum, and has been ascribed to disinhibition and enhanced canal signals during positioning due to cerebellar dysfunction. This study aims to elucidate the mechanism of central positional nystagmus (CPN) by determining the effects of baclofen on the intensity of paroxysmal positional downbeat nystagmus due to central lesions. Fifteen patients with paroxysmal downbeat CPN were subjected to manual straight head-hanging before administration of baclofen, while taking baclofen 30 mg per day for at least one week, and two weeks after discontinuation of baclofen. The maximum slow phase velocity (SPV) and time constant (TC) of the induced paroxysmal downbeat CPN were analyzed. The positional vertigo was evaluated using an 11-point numerical rating scale (0 to 10) in 9 patients. After treatment with baclofen, the median of the maximum SPV of paroxysmal downbeat CPN decreased from 30.1°/s [interquartile range (IQR) = 19.6—39.0°/s] to 15.2°/s (IQR = 11.2—22.0°/s, Wilcoxon signed rank test, p < 0.001) with the median decrement ratio at 40.2% (IQR = 28.2—50.6%). After discontinuation of baclofen, the maximum SPV re-increased to 24.6°/s (IQR = 13.1—34.4°/s, Wilcoxon signed rank test, p = 0.001) with the median increment ratio at 23.5% (IQR = 5.2—87.9%). In contrast, the TCs of paroxysmal downbeat CPN remained unchanged at approximately 3.0 s throughout the evaluation. The positional vertigo also decreased with the medication (Wilcoxon signed rank test, p = 0.020), and remained unchanged even after discontinuation of medication (Wilcoxon signed rank test, p = 0.737). The results of this study support the prior presumption that paroxysmal CPN is caused by enhanced responses of the semicircular canals during positioning due to cerebellar disinhibition. Baclofen may be tried in symptomatic patients with paroxysmal CPN.

EVALUASI PEMANFAATAN PUPUK ORGANIK CAIR DENGAN STARTER ECO-FARMING PADA USHATANI SAWI DI DESA BUG-BUG KECAMATAN LINGSAR

Community service activities (PKM) are beneficial if partners implement the PKM work. Therefore, after the PKM activities have passed, it is necessary to evaluate the use of liquid organic fertilizer with an eco-farming starter (POC). This evaluation aims to determine the extent to which POC fertilizer is used in increasing production, production value, and performance of caisim mustard plants in farming in Bug-bug Village, Lingsar District. The evaluation technique applied in evaluating PKM implementation is the tiling technique. The tiles measure 100cm x 100cm consisting of 2 (two) tiles using POC and 2 (two) tiles without POC. The evaluation results show that the use of POC is still applied by 60% of the total number of PKM participants and can increase production and production value by 26.67%. An incremental benefit-cost ratio value of 12.47 is obtained, meaning that the use of POC can attract farmers' interest in implementing it because can increase production value.

Cyclic behaviour of circular CFT-SG columns under axial tension-compression: Novel FE modelling and design methods

The ultra-high concrete-filled steel tubular (CFT) power transmission tower is popularly applied in engineering practice, which may be under a typical cyclic axial tension-compression loading condition due to the dynamic wind load. Nonetheless, the CFT columns of the tower may be accompanied by significant gap defects due to the influence of structural feature, material property, and service environment. Hence, to figure out the performance of circular CFT columns with spherical-cap gaps (CFT-SG) subjected to cyclic axial tension-compression, this paper investigates a constitutive relationship for the gapped core concrete, which is verified by several existing experiments. A novel numerical modelling approach for simulating the irregular cross-section of the circular CFT-SG columns under cyclic axial load was following established based on the triangulation method and code programming. The influence of important parameters such as gap ratio, material strength, and diameter to thickness ratio on the hysteresis characteristics, load-bearing capacity, elastic stiffness, energy dissipation and ductility of circular CFT-SG columns under cyclic axial tension-compression force is studied. Moreover, the restoring force model of the circular CFT-SG columns under cyclic axial tension-compression is finally presented. Research results declare that the compressive bearing capacity, stiffness, ductility, and energy dissipation of circular CFT-SG columns under cyclic axial tension-compression are gradually weakened with the increment in the gap ratio. The numerical modelling approach and restoring force model proposed in this article can accurately evaluate the hysteresis performance of circular CFT-SG columns subjected to cyclic axial tension-compression.

The cost-utility of intraoperative tranexamic acid in adult spinal deformity patients undergoing long posterior spinal fusion.

This study aims to evaluate the cost-utility of intraoperative tranexamic acid (TXA) in adult spinal deformity (ASD) patients undergoing long posterior (≥ 5 vertebral levels) spinal fusion. A decision-analysis model was built for a hypothetical 60-year-old adult patient with spinal deformity undergoing long posterior spinal fusion. A comprehensive review of the literature was performed to obtain event probabilities, costs and health utilities at each node. Health utilities were utilized to calculate Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs). A base-case analysis was carried out to obtain the incremental cost and effectiveness of intraoperative TXA. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate uncertainty in our model and obtain mean incremental costs, effectiveness, and net monetary benefits. One-way sensitivity analyses were also performed to identify the variables with the most impact on our model. Use of intraoperative TXA was the favored strategy in 88% of the iterations. The mean incremental utility ratio for using intraoperative TXA demonstrated higher benefit and lower cost while being lower than the willingness-to-pay threshold set at $50,000 per quality adjusted life years. Use of intraoperative TXA was associated with a mean incremental net monetary benefit (INMB) of $3743 (95% CI 3492-3995). One-way sensitivity analysis reported cost of blood transfusions due to post-operative anemia to be a major driver of cost-utility analysis. Use of intraoperative TXAs is a cost-effective strategy to reduce overall perioperative costs related to post-operative blood transfusions. Administration of intraoperative TXA should be considered for long fusions in ASD population when not explicitly contra-indicated due to patient factors.

An analytical investigation on nonlinear vibrations and stability of Timoshenko pipes conveying two-phase flow

The primary objective of this study is to conduct a comprehensive investigation on the nonlinear free vibration and stability analysis of the multilayer graphene reinforced pipe conveying liquid–gas two–phase flow based on the Timoshenko beam model. The Halpin–Tsai micromechanics model is employed which provides a means to evaluate and analyze the mechanical behavior and performance of the multilayer FG reinforced pipe. According to Von–Kármán strain relations and applying the Hamilton's principle, the governing equations of motion are derived. The Galerkin technique is operated to convert the partial differential equation (PDE) to the ordinary differential equation (ODE). The homotopy analysis method is employed to solve the fourth order nonlinear differential equation. Closed–form expressions for the nth nonlinear frequency and time history as well as the critical flow velocity based on the Timoshenko theory are achieved. The results demonstrate that neglecting the effects of rotary inertia and shear deformation may cause some errors by the increment of the initial amplitude. Furthermore, the critical flow velocity, depends not only on the mechanical and geometrical properties of the pipe but also on the initial mode shape excitation. The results indicate that by the increment of flow velocity, liquid density and slenderness ratio, the nonlinear frequency decreases, on the other hand, by the increment of the initial amplitude, the nonlinear frequency increases.

Analyzing cyclic shear behavior at the sand–rough concrete interface: An experimental and DEM study across varying displacement amplitudes

AbstractPile foundations frequently endure dynamic loads, necessitating an in‐depth examination of the cyclic shear properties at the pile–soil interface. This study involved a series of cyclic direct shear (CDS) tests conducted on sand and concrete with irregular surface, utilizing varying displacement amplitudes (1, 3, 6, and 10 mm) and joint roughness coefficients (0.4, 5.8, 9.5, 12.8, and 16.7). Discrete Element Method (DEM) models, informed by experimental data, facilitated mesoscopic mechanical response analyses. Findings indicate that the sand–concrete interface undergoes softening, with hysteresis loops' morphology dependent largely on displacement amplitude. A maximum ultimate shear stress corresponds to a specific critical surface roughness, while the initial tangent modulus escalates with increased concrete roughness. Volume variations of the specimen inversely correlate with displacement amplitude and directly with surface roughness. As displacement amplitude expands, there is a reduction in the maximum shear stiffness and an elevation in the maximum damping ratio. Empirical formulas for the surface roughness and normalized shear stiffness were proposed. Larger displacement amplitudes result in more substantial shear bands and heightened energy dissipation, yet the incremental energy ratio remains largely unaffected. Predominant energy dissipation mechanisms include both slip and rolling slip, with the former surpassing the latter in energy dissipation capacity. The anisotropy directions of contact normal, normal contact forces, and tangential contact forces consistently fluctuate with shear direction alterations.

Experimental study on thermal modification characteristics of entrained-flow gasified fine ash using circulating fluidized bed

Gasified fine ash (GFA) exhibits poor reactivity due to its low carbon content and high ash content, which restricts its potential for combustion utilization. To enhance the reactivity of GFA, we employed a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) as a thermal modification unit (TMU) to thermally modify GFA from different entrained-flow gasifiers. We also experimentally investigated the impact of equivalence ratio, temperature, and feedstock moisture content on the thermal modification of GFA. After thermal modification of GFA, the pore structure of modified fine ash (MFA) was significantly improved, the proportion of active sites in residual carbon increased, and the proportion of graphitized structures decreased. An appropriate increment in the equivalence ratio increased the number of carbon active sites in MFA. A good thermal modification effect was found on the GFA produced by different types of gasification furnaces. The temperature rise promoted gasification reaction in the TMU and restricted carbon conversion, thus decreasing the consumption of combustible residual carbon. An increase of water content in the GFA improved the pore structure, but excessive water caused adverse effects.

Effect of Newer Insecticides against the Major Insect Pests of Groundnut

Efficacy of some newer insecticides were tested against the groundnut leaf miner Aproaerema modicella (Deventer), tobacco caterpillar Spodoptera litura (F), gram pod borer Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) and natural enemies (coccinellids) of groundnut. Tolfenpyrad @ 2.5ml/ l was significantly superior in controlling defoliator pests. The next best treatments were tolfenpyrad @ 2ml/ l, spinetoram @ 0.5ml/l, tolfenpyrad @ 1.5ml/ l, thiamethoxam+ lambdacyhalothrin @ 0.4ml/ l. The highest incremental cost benefit ratio (ICBR) was obtained in the treatments with tolfenpyrad @ 2.5ml/ l.

The impact of the frequency content of far-field earthquakes on the optimum parameters and performance of tuned mass damper inerter

Tuned mass damper inerter is a passive control device that is proven to be effective in mitigating structural responses under earthquake excitations, however, its efficiency highly depends on its design parameters. This paper aims to investigate how the optimum parameters of TMDI change with the frequency content of far-field earthquakes to minimize the need for repeatedly optimizing these parameters for varying far-field earthquakes and structural characteristics. To achieve this objective, the ratio of the earthquake's frequency to the structure's frequency is defined as an index to simultaneously represent the structure and the earthquake. Case studies of 5, 10, 15, and 20-story building structures are analyzed under twenty-three far-field earthquakes which are categorized into three main groups based on their frequency (PGA/PGV) including “Low”, “Intermediate”, and “High”. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is employed to obtain the optimum parameters of TMDI including the damping and the frequency ratio to minimize two distinct objective functions: (1) the peak displacement and (2) the peak acceleration of the top story in a time domain analysis. To validate the applicability of the proposed method in determining the optimal parameters of TMDI regardless of the earthquake and structure frequency, a 10-story benchmark building is employed. Moreover, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of TMDI in minimizing the objective functions concerning the frequency content of the earthquake. It also illustrates the trend of the PSO optimization process. The results show that the index provides a discernible pattern for the variation of the optimum parameters of TMDI. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the difference in the structural response between tuning the TMDI with the PSO algorithm and the suggested method is less than 3 % when the index is greater than 1. As the ratio of earthquake frequency to the frequency of structure increases, the objective functions will correspondingly increase. The results also indicate that, an increment in the inertance ratio leads to an increase in the value of optimum parameters of TMDI. Furthermore, among all structures analyzed, those subjected to intermediate frequency earthquakes exhibit the most significant reduction in both objective functions.

Effects of Drought, Phosphorus Fertilization and Provenance on the Growth of Common Beech and Sessile Oak

The negative impact of drought on plant growth may be modified by the different availability of mineral nutrients and by their adaptation to different local habitat conditions. In this study, we examine the impact of drought, fertilization with phosphorus and provenance, as well as their interactions, on the growth and allometric growth relationships between the belowground and aboveground organs of common beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and sessile oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.). The research was conducted on saplings originating from two mature mixed stands (dry and wet provenances) dominated by these species. In the common garden experiment, saplings were exposed to regular watering and drought in interaction with moderate and high phosphorus concentrations in the growing substrate (achieved by phosphorus fertilization). The obtained results indicate the negative impact of drought and phosphorus fertilization on the growth of both species. In common beech, a negative impact of phosphorus fertilization on the adaptive capacity to drought was demonstrated by unfavorable ratios between fine root mass and the mass of other organs. The sessile oak provenances under the impact of drought showed a different root collar diameter/stem height increment ratio, which indicates their different phenotypic plasticity as a consequence of adaptation to different frequencies of dry periods in their natural habitats.

Components and Delivery Formats of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Insomnia in Adults

Chronic insomnia disorder is highly prevalent, disabling, and costly. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), comprising various educational, cognitive, and behavioral strategies delivered in various formats, is the recommended first-line treatment, but the effect of each component and delivery method remains unclear. To examine the association of each component and delivery format of CBT-I with outcomes. PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PsycInfo, and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform from database inception to July 21, 2023. Published randomized clinical trials comparing any form of CBT-I against another or a control condition for chronic insomnia disorder in adults aged 18 years and older. Insomnia both with and without comorbidities was included. Concomitant treatments were allowed if equally distributed among arms. Two independent reviewers identified components, extracted data, and assessed trial quality. Random-effects component network meta-analyses were performed. The primary outcome was treatment efficacy (remission defined as reaching a satisfactory state) posttreatment. Secondary outcomes included all-cause dropout, self-reported sleep continuity, and long-term remission. A total of 241 trials were identified including 31 452 participants (mean [SD] age, 45.4 [16.6] years; 21 048 of 31 452 [67%] women). Results suggested that critical components of CBT-I are cognitive restructuring (remission incremental odds ratio [iOR], 1.68; 95% CI, 1.28-2.20) third-wave components (iOR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.10-2.03), sleep restriction (iOR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.04-2.13), and stimulus control (iOR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.00-2.05). Sleep hygiene education was not essential (iOR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.77-1.32), and relaxation procedures were found to be potentially counterproductive(iOR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.64-1.02). In-person therapist-led programs were most beneficial (iOR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.19-2.81). Cognitive restructuring, third-wave components, and in-person delivery were mainly associated with improved subjective sleep quality. Sleep restriction was associated with improved subjective sleep quality, sleep efficiency, and wake after sleep onset, and stimulus control with improved subjective sleep quality, sleep efficiency, and sleep latency. The most efficacious combination-consisting of cognitive restructuring, third wave, sleep restriction, and stimulus control in the in-person format-compared with in-person psychoeducation, was associated with an increase in the remission rate by a risk difference of 0.33 (95% CI, 0.23-0.43) and a number needed to treat of 3.0 (95% CI, 2.3-4.3), given the median observed control event rate of 0.14. The findings suggest that beneficial CBT-I packages may include cognitive restructuring, third-wave components, sleep restriction, stimulus control, and in-person delivery but not relaxation. However, potential undetected interactions could undermine the conclusions. Further large-scale, well-designed trials are warranted to confirm the contribution of different treatment components in CBT-I.

Overall numerical simulation of chemical-thermal-electric conversion for an all-in-one thermoelectric generator based on micro scale combustion

Micro combustion-based power systems have garnered significant attention owing to their high energy density and portability. This work presents a numerical simulation process for an integrated thermoelectric generator based on micro-combustion, which can track the chemical-thermal-electro energy conversion. The combustion performance, thermal characteristics and energy conversion for the micro-thermoelectric generator (MTEG) system are investigated. A range of equivalence ratios and Reynolds numbers (Re) is examined to provide a detailed analysis. With the increment of equivalence ratio (φ), both the energy output and the open-circuit voltage of the system significantly increase. At high φ, the voltage and energy output exhibit a growth tendency when the Re number increases. Conversely, at low φ, the voltage and energy output decrease at higher Re number. The maximum voltage of 0.264 V is achieved when φ = 1.0 and Re = 1500, while the system delivers an energy output of 1.87 W.

Cost-Effectiveness of Onasemnogene Abeparvovec Compared With Nusinersen and Risdiplam in Patients With Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 in Brazil: Custo-Efetividade do Onasemnogeno Abeparvoveque (AVXS-101) em Comparação ao Nusinersena e Risdiplam em Pacientes com Atrofia Muscular Espinhal Tipo 1 no Brasil

ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the onasemnogene abeparvovec in relation to nusinersen and risdiplam in the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy type 1 from the perspective of the Brazilian Unified Health System. MethodsA Markov model was built on a lifetime horizon. Short-term data were obtained from clinical trials of the technologies and from published cohort survival curves (long term). Costs were measured in current 2022 local currency (R$) values and benefits in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Utility values were derived from type 1 spinal muscular atrophy literature, whereas costs related to technologies and maintenance care in each health state were obtained from official sources of reimbursement in Brazil. Deterministic and probabilistic, as well as scenario, sensitivity analyses were performed. ResultsCompared with the less costly strategy (nusinersen), the use of onasemnogene abeparvovec resulted in an incremental cost of R$2.468.448,06 ($975 671.169 – purchasing power parity [PPP]) and a 3-QALY increment and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of R$742.890,92 ($293 632.774 – PPP)/QALY. Risdiplam had an extended dominance from other strategies, resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of R$926.586,22 ($366 239.612 – PPP)/QALY compared with nusinersen. Sensitivity analysis showed a significant impact of the follow-up time of the cohort and the cost of acquiring onasemnogene abeparvovec. ConclusionsOver a lifetime horizon, onasemnogene abeparvovec seems to be a potentially more effective option than nusinersen and risdiplam, albeit with an incremental cost. Such a trade-off should be weighed in efficiency criteria during decision making and outcome monitoring from the perspective of the Brazilian Unified Health System.

Preparation, characterization, and fouling analysis of PVC/ND-PEG ultrafiltration membranes for whey separation

In this work, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membranes were embedded with nanodiamond-Polyethylene glycol (ND-PEG) nanoparticles. Fabricated membranes were characterized by FTIR, FESEM, AFM, pore size distribution, contact angle, porosity, pure water flux (PWF), and tensile strength. Successful functionalization of ND nanoparticles by PEG was proved by the FTIR test. According to the FESEM and pore size distribution results, there was an increase in the quantity of surface pores, a shift toward smaller pores, and larger macro-voids in the porous substructure of the nanocomposite membranes as the ND-PEG content in the dope solution increased. The decrease water contact angle from 79.8° for neat PVC membrane to 59.5° for 2.00 wt% ND-PEG containing membrane along with the increase of porosity from 53.89 % to 80.80 % respectively showed that the hydrophilicity of the nanocomposite membranes was improved by increasing nanoparticles content, and this phenome along with surface roughness increment caused PWF improvement from 206.8 LMH to 266.4 LMH. In addition, due to the uniform dispersion of ND-PEG nanoparticles and the high mechanical strength of NDs, the tensile strength of nanocomposite membranes reached a maximum value of 2.91 Mpa for 1.5 wt% ND-PEG membrane. The performance results showed that PVC/ND-PEG nanocomposite membranes had acceptable whey rejection along with a significant increment in flux recovery ratio. Moreover, PVC/ND-PEG membranes with 2.00 wt% ND-PEG had lower flux reduction in long-term filtration, improved antifouling properties and more turbidity removal efficiency in comparison with neat PVC membranes. The analysis of the fouling mechanism based on Hermia's model revealed that the cake formation is the prevailing mechanism for all fabricated membranes.

Effect of the incorporation ratio of recycled concrete aggregate on the properties of self-compacting mortar

This paper investigates the effect of the addition of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) on the properties of self-compacting cement-based materials at the mortar scale, at the incorporation ratios of 0, 25, 50, and 100 %. The results showed that the yield stress and the plastic viscosity of the mortar increased with the incorporation ratio of RCA. Slump flow and V-funnel time were used to assess these properties. The mechanical strength of the mix also increases with the RCA incorporation ratio. A quantitative analysis of the data demonstrated that the effect of the addition of RCA on the mortar's rheological properties can be attributed to a decrease of the aggregate's packing density (morphology effect), a decrease of the effective water-to-cement ratio of the mix (water-to-cement ratio effect), and an increase of the aggregate's effective volume fraction (volume fraction effect). The latter two effects are caused by the aggregate's high water absorption, whose impact on mechanical strength is stronger than that caused by the morphology effect. In addition, the increase of the mix's strength can also be attributed to the increase of the effective water-to-cement ratio of the mix and to the bonding quality between the aggregate and the cementitious matrix. The increment in the incorporation ratio of RCA causes a reduction of the effective water-cement ratio of the mix and an increase of the bonding quality.

Investigation of thermal effects on the saturated shear behaviour of a clayey sand-structure interface

The mechanical behaviour of soil-structure interfaces at various temperatures plays a key role in predicting the performance of energy piles, such as their ultimate bearing capacity and settlement under heating and cooling. The experimental data was limited in the literature, and previous studies used clay and clean sand. In this study, a modified direct shear apparatus that can control temperature was developed. To control interface temperature, a refrigerated/heated circulating bath is connected to channels in the lower shear box and then heated/cooled water is circulated. The interface can be heated/cooled through heat exchange with circulating water. Three series of tests were conducted at various temperatures of 8, 20 and 42 °C and effective normal stress levels of 50, 150 and 300 kPa. The soil specimen was recompacted clayey sand with a 95% degree of compaction. The results indicate that the shear strength of saturated soilstructure interfaces decreases with increasing temperature. This is likely because temperature elevation results in a reduction of interface roughness and a partial increment of void ratio in the shear zone.

Flexural behavior of composite section of multiple full-culm bamboo beams with mortar infill bolted joints

Full-culm bamboo has several characteristics that make it an excellent alternative construction material due to its rapid growth rate, high strength-to-weight ratio, and high carbon sequestration. Thus, it becomes crucial to study the mechanical and structural performance of bamboo within an engineering framework, such as flexural behavior of multi-culm elements, since it is a key issue of typical elements of building such beams, joists, and others. While there is a general understanding of the composite section behavior in materials such as timber, steel and concrete, there is a lack of experimental evidence concerning bamboo in this regard. Therefore, an experimental program was undertaken by the Center of Research in Materials and Civil Works (CIMOC) at the Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia. Two- and three-culm elements of Guadua angustifolia Kunth from a Colombian plantation using a Bolted-Mortar Infill connections were tested in a bending setup. The gamma method, extensively employed in timber standards, was used to find the percentage of composite section for different number of shear connectors. Montecarlo simulations were performed to deal with uncertainty of the modulus of elasticity and the slip modulus (stiffness) of the Bolted-Mortar Infill connection. Additionally, a design factor FI was proposed that allows to find the ratio of increment of the effective moment of inertia of partially composite section for different connection configuration. Equations were derived and proposed for C and FI through linear regression.

Differential Calculus: a gross error in mathematics ∗

A detailed proof of the incorrectness of the foundations of the differential calculus is proposed. The correct methodological basis for the proof is the unity of formal logic and rational dialectics. The proof leads to the following irrefutable statement: differential calculus represents a gross error in mathematics and physics. The proof of this statement is based on the following irrefutable results: (1) the standard theory of infinitesimals and the theory of limits underlying the differential calculus are gross errors. The main error is that infinitesimal (infinitely decreasing) quantities do not take on numerical values in the process of tending to zero. The number “zero” is not a permissible value of infinitesimal quantity. The concepts of “infinitesimal quantity”, “movement”, “process of tendency”, and “limit of tendency” are meaningless concepts in mathematics: they are not mathematical concepts because the mathematical formalism does not contain movement (process); (2) the concepts of “increment of argument” and “increment of function” are the starting point of the differential calculus. The gross error is that the increment of argument is not defined. An indefinite (undefined, uncertain, ambiguous, undetermined) increment of an argument is a meaningless quantity (concept); (3) the definition of the derivative of a function is a gross error. The derivative is the limit of the ratio of the function increment to the argument increment under the following conditions: (a) the argument increment is not equal to zero; (b) the increment of the argument tends to zero and reaches the value “zero”. In this case, the following logical contradiction arises: the increment of the argument is both not equal to zero and equal to zero; (4) the differentials of the argument and the function - as infinitesimal quantities - do not take on numerical values. This means that the differentials of quantities have neither quantitative nor qualitative determinacy. In this case, the differentials of quantities are meaningless symbols. The geometric and physical interpretations of the derivative are a gross error; (5) the definition of the total differential of a function of two (many) variables is a gross error because the definition contains a formal-logical contradiction, i.e. the definition as the sum of partial differentials does not satisfy the formal-logical law of the lack (absence) of contradiction; (6) the theory of proportions completely refutes the theory of differential calculus. Thus, differential calculus does not satisfy the criterion of truth and is not correct scien tific (mathematical) theory.

Shear behaviour of loess under varied drainage conditions subjected to monotonic and cyclic loads

The role of drainage conditions in altering the shear behaviour of loess is a fundamental concern, yet remaining unclear in the current literature. This paper presents an experimental investigation into the problem on saturated intact loess through static and cyclic triaxial tests. Four types of drainage conditions were controlled during shearing, including drained, undrained, water-absorbing and partially drained conditions. Results from the static triaxial test revealed that the loess exhibited a strain-hardening behaviour in the drained condition. When the drainage of the loess sample was gradually restricted, it showed strain-softening behaviour, and the lowest shear strength occurred in the sample under the water-absorbing condition. A fairly good correlation has been established between the strain increment ratio and the stress ratio at the asymptotic state. When subjected to the cyclic loads, the loess sample demonstrated the cyclic mobility type of failure mode. A smaller number of cycles were found at failure for the loess samples under the water-absorbing condition than that under the conventional undrained condition. Of a particular interest was the partially drained condition. The mean effective stress of the loess sample firstly reduced, and it then regained as the cyclic load gradually proceeded. At the meanwhile, the excess pore water pressure of the sample reduced after reaching a peak value. In this study, the dynamic elastic modulus and the damping ratio of the loess samples were also examined. Compared with the undrained case, the dynamic elastic modulus is greater under the partially drained condition, and it is lower under the water-absorbing condition. Accordingly, an opposite trend was found for the damping ratio. The above experimental results provide evidences on how the drainage conditions expedite or retard the occurrence of shear failure in loess, confirming the significant impact of the drainage conditions on the shear behaviour of loess.

Eco-friendly management of mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi Kalt.

A field trial was conducted at Oilseed Farm, C S Azad University of Agriculture &amp; Technology, Kanpur. The trial was laid out in RBD with three replications using mustard cultivars Varuna. Seven insecticides viz. NSKE@5%, Neem leaf extract@ 5%, Neem oil 2%, Eucalyptus leaf extract 5%, Fennel leaf extract 5%, Dimethoate 30EC @ 1ml/liter and Thiamethoxam 25WG @ 0.2gm/liter with second spray of each treatment after 15 days of first spray were evaluated. Thiamethoxam 25WG @ 0.2gm/liter followed by its second spray after 15 days of first spray was most effective treatments against mustard aphid followed by Dimethoate 30EC @ 1ml/liter followed by its second spray after 15days of first spray. The highest seed yield (18.73 q/ha.) was obtained with Thiamethoxam 25WG @ 0.2gm/liter followed by its second spray after 15 days of first spray which was at par with NSKE@5%followed by its second spray after 15days of first spray (16.83 q/ha.). The incremental Benefit Cost Ratio (1:40:63) was also highest with Thiamethoxam 25WG @ 0.2gm/liter followed by its second spray after 15 days of first spray.