Solving P - Norm Intuitionistic Fuzzy Programming Problem

In this paper, notion of p - norm generalized trapezoidal intuitionistic fuzzy numbers is introduced. A new ranking method is introduced for p - norm generalized trapezoidal intuitionistic fuzzy numbers. Also we consider linear programming problem in intuitionistic fuzzy environment. In this problem, all the coefficients and variables are represented by p - norm generalized trapezoidal intuitionistic fuzzy numbers. To overcome the limitations of the existing methods, a new method is proposed to compute the intuitionistic fuzzy optimal solution for intuitionistic fuzzy linear programming problem. An illustrative numerical example is solved to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed approach.Comment: some erro

Entanglement dynamics following a sudden quench: an exact solution

We present an exact and fully analytical treatment of the entanglement dynamics for an isolated system of $N$ coupled oscillators following a sudden quench of the system parameters. The system is analyzed using the solutions of the time dependent Schrodinger's equation, which are obtained by solving the corresponding nonlinear Ermakov equations. The entanglement entropies exhibit a multi-oscillatory behaviour, where the number of dynamically generated time scales increases with $N$. The harmonic chains exhibit entanglement revival and for larger values of $N (> 10)$, we find near-critical logarithmic scaling for the entanglement entropy, which is modulated by a time dependent factor. The $N=2$ case is equivalent to the two site Bose-Hubbard model in the tunneling regime, which is amenable to empirical realization in cold atom systems.Comment: Figure for large N added, discussion related with near critical scaling behavior adde

Ethnobotanical Studies of Nubra Valley - A Cold Arid Zone of Himalaya

An attempt has been made to explore traditional medicinal knowledge of Nubra valley, the cold arid zone of Himalaya. Ethnobotanical information were gathered through several visits, group discussions and cross checked with local medicine men. The study identified 65 plant species belonging to 30 families have been used to cure various diseases and ailments. Maximum number of species was recorded to be used in kidney complaints (14 spp.), cold & cough (13 spp.) and fever (11 spp.). Leaves of 27 species; whole plant extract of 20 species and root/bulb of 19 species were mostly used. Juice, raw items, paste and decoction of plant species were the common method of usage. A large number of ethnic groups with varied culture inhabiting the remote and isolated valleys of Ladakh offer a great scope for ethnobotanical studies. Over exploitation of medicinal herbs can lead to the local extinction of the valuable herbs indicating an urgent need to draw up the necessary plans for medicinal plant utilization and conservation

Study of BRIC countries in the financial turmoil

This paper analyzes the dynamic relationship among the emerging countries specially BRIC countries in condition of financial turmoil. The time span from the year 2008 till now seemed to be full of financial tantrum Sub Prime Crisis, US debt Crisis and European debt crisis. This financial ups and down seemed to have embraced BRIC countries as well. In this paper I attempted to quantify the interrelationship between these promising countries. Popular Indices of BRIC countries have taken as the proxy of their Stock market. In this paper I have taken IBOV, RTS Index, S&P Nifty, SCI (Shanghai Composite index) as the proxy for the stock market of BRIC countries respectively. Several statistical tests have been applied in order to study the behavior and dynamics of time series of BRIC countries indices. The period for the study is taken from January 2008 to November 2011 using the daily closing indices. Kurtosis, Skewness and Jarqus-Bera test is done to investigate the normal distribution of time series and it is found them non-normally distributed. Though Unit root test, it is established that all these time series indices are stationary at the level form itself. Granger Causality test is done to find out the causal relationship between the time series of BRIC countries indices. Keywords: Stock Return, Unit Root Test, Correlation test, Granger Causalit

An Improved Algorithm for Retrieving Surface Downwelling Longwave Radiation from Satellite Measurements

Zhou and Cess [2001] developed an algorithm for retrieving surface downwelling longwave radiation (SDLW) based upon detailed studies using radiative transfer model calculations and surface radiometric measurements. Their algorithm linked clear sky SDLW with surface upwelling longwave flux and column precipitable water vapor. For cloudy sky cases, they used cloud liquid water path as an additional parameter to account for the effects of clouds. Despite the simplicity of their algorithm, it performed very well for most geographical regions except for those regions where the atmospheric conditions near the surface tend to be extremely cold and dry. Systematic errors were also found for scenes that were covered with ice clouds. An improved version of the algorithm prevents the large errors in the SDLW at low water vapor amounts by taking into account that under such conditions the SDLW and water vapor amount are nearly linear in their relationship. The new algorithm also utilizes cloud fraction and cloud liquid and ice water paths available from the Cloud and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) single scanner footprint (SSF) product to separately compute the clear and cloudy portions of the fluxes. The new algorithm has been validated against surface measurements at 29 stations around the globe for Terra and Aqua satellites. The results show significant improvement over the original version. The revised Zhou-Cess algorithm is also slightly better or comparable to more sophisticated algorithms currently implemented in the CERES processing and will be incorporated as one of the CERES empirical surface radiation algorithms

Understanding the process of Portfolio-Supported Learning & Assessment (PSLA) with reference to the learning attitudes of Postgraduate Medical Students (SpRs) at the Queen's School of Anaesthesia

PhD ThesisRapidly changing technology, the knowledge explosion and socio-economic transformations owing to globalisation have made it necessary for most people to learn throughout life. The terms such as `lifelong learning' and `continuous professional development' have become part of the educational lexicon as never before. Yet the formal education system alone cannot provide lifelong education for career development and there is research interest in promoting individual responsibility for becoming a self-directed autonomous learner. However, this idea is inconsistent with the prevailing teaching and assessment practices, namely, didactic teaching methods and norm-referenced summative assessment, where students are excluded from the process of deciding targets for learning, setting criteria and standards for assessment, designing assessment schemes and implementing them. Methods and techniques which are claimed to transfer the control of the educational and assessment process form teacher to student such as `Problem-Based Learning' and `Portfolio- Based Assessment', have been seen by researchers in the field of assessment as suitable alternatives to foster autonomy and intrinsic motivation in students. Although medical education in the UK has taken the lead in adopting `Problem Based Learning', teacher education is considerably ahead in the case of `Portfolio-Based Assessment'. Recently, medical education has also started to introduce `Portfolio-Based Assessment' in some colleges. However, its effectiveness in the context of medical education is yet to be established. This study, therefore, attempts to understand the process of `Portfolio-Based Assessment' with reference to the learning attitudes of postgraduate medical students (SpRs) in the context of the Queen's School of Anaesthesia situated in the north of England. The basic aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of PBA in transforming the attitudes of the SpRs. The study revealed that it was very difficult to measure any change in attitude. Moreover, it was realised that in comparison to measuring change in attitudes it was more important to understand the process of intervention of the PBA in order to evolve remedial measures to make it more effective. This early finding considerably changed the focus of the study, research questions and methods. I also realised that the relationship between the effectiveness of the portfolio and the attitudes of SpRs was symbiotic, and so it was also important to understand these attitudes in order to understand the dynamics of portfolio use. The final aim was to understand the process of PBA, rather than to prove any particular theory or measure change in attitudes. Hence, the methodology adopted was more qualitative and naturalistic in nature than quantitative, with the aim of studying the process of PBA through a flexible methodology, and without any pre-conceived theories about the portfolio. However, findings concerning the process of PBA are situated in my understanding of theories of learning and current approaches to assessment within a particular context. The fieldwork combined two separate questionnaires distributed to all 90 SpRs, of whom about 50% responded. In order to understand their perceptions regarding the portfolio, nondirective interviews were carried out with 24 SpRs. Content analysis of the 24 portfolios was carried out to explore the extent to which the SpRs had developed the portfolios and the amount and type of reflection in which they engaged. Non-directed interviews and the content analysis of the portfolios raised questions about the SpRs' professionalism and their attitudes towards self-directed learning. To obtain a better understanding of these issues, focused interviews of 16 SpRs, based on the content analysis of the portfolios, were conducted. The understanding developed from this study and the findings and suggestions that have emerged from it are applicable mainly to postgraduate medical education. However, three propositions emerged from this study which may be relevant to the use of the portfolio for professional development in other educational contexts: (i) The term `Portfolio-Based Assessment' is a misnomer, since a portfolio does not become so central to the assessment process that it can be used to assess all types of ability. It may be concluded that a portfolio only supports the existing assessment system. (ii) The process of portfolio preparation itself leads to learning, while in the case of most of the other assessment processes the learning loop is completed after assessors have provided feedback. The portfolio should therefore be treated as a tool for both assessment and learning, and the term `Portfolio-Supported Assessment and Learning (PSLA)' is more appropriate. (iii) Other assessment methods may be used simultaneously for summative as well as for formative assessment without affecting the quality of formative assessment to a great degree. However, the use of portfolio for both purposes of assessment simultaneously creates a conflict and to a large extent reduces its potential for encouraging the trainees to engage in self-assessment and reflection, thus defeating the basic purpose for which it was introduced. It may be concluded that the same portfolio should not be used for both purposes of assessment. The emergence of the above propositions from the study may be considered as an original contribution to knowledge in this field. Further debate and studies are required in order to develop theories based on these propositions

Evaluating Surface Flux Results from CERES-FLASHFlux

The Fast Longwave and Shortwave Radiative Flux (FLASHFlux) data product was developed to provide a rapid release version of the Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) results, which could be made available to the research and applications communities within one week of the satellite observations by exchanging some accuracy for speed of processing. Unlike standard CERES products, FLASHFlux does not maintain a long-term consistent record. Therefore the latest algorithm changes and input data can be incorporated into processing. FLASHFlux released Version3A (January 2013) and Version 3B (August 2014) which include the latest meteorological product from Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO), GEOS FP-IT (5.9.1), the latest spectral response functions and gains for the CERES instruments, and aerosol climatology based on the latest MATCH data. Version 3B included a slightly updated calibration and some changes to the surface albedo over snow/ice. Typically FLASHFlux does not reprocess earlier versions when a new version is released. The combined record of Time Interpolated Space Averaged (TISA) surface flux results from Versions3A and 3B for July 2012 to October 2015 have been compared to the ground-based measurements. The FLASHFlux results are also compared to two other CERES gridded products, SYN1deg and EBAF surface fluxes

Annual Cycle of Cloud Forcing of Surface Radiation Budget

The climate of the Earth is determined by its balance of radiation. The incoming and outgoing radiation fluxes are strongly modulated by clouds, which are not well understood. The Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (Barkstrom and Smith, 1986) provided data from which the effects of clouds on radiation at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) could be computed (Ramanathan, 1987). At TOA, clouds increase the reflected solar radiation, tending to cool the planet, and decrease the OLR, causing the planet to retain its heat (Ramanathan et al., 1989; Harrison et al., 1990). The effects of clouds on radiation fluxes are denoted cloud forcing. These shortwave and longwave forcings counter each other to various degrees, so that in the tropics the result is a near balance. Over mid and polar latitude oceans, cloud forcing at TOA results in large net loss of radiation. Here, there are large areas of stratus clouds and cloud systems associated with storms. These systems are sensitive to surface temperatures and vary strongly with the annual cycle. During winter, anticyclones form over the continents and move to the oceans during summer. This movement of major cloud systems causes large changes of surface radiation, which in turn drives the surface temperature and sensible and latent heat released to the atmosphere