This communication reports significant isolation improvement utilizing planar suspended line (PSL) technique in ultra wideband (UWB) antenna for Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) application. The antenna exhibits dual-band notched characteristic in Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) band covering 5.45–5.85 GHz range; and in 7.15–7.95 GHz range for X-band downlink operations in satellite communication. Band-notching characteristics have been obtained by employing a single Elliptical Split Ring Resonator (ESSR) placed adjacent to each microstrip feed line of the radiating element and duo of “Y”-shaped strips employed within the circular ring of individual radiating elements. Two elements antenna occupy a compact space of 20 × 36 × 1.6 mm3 exhibiting huge measured impedance bandwidth (S11/S22 < −10 dB) covering 3.1–11.5 GHz and significant isolation of >21 dB in the almost entire band of operation. The electrical performance of antennas has been analyzed in terms of various MIMO parameters. Measured results demonstrate good accord with simulated results proving the competency of proposed antenna in high-density package systems and massive MIMO applications.

In this paper, we report on the acceleration of protons and oxygen ions from tens of micrometer large water droplets by a high-intensity laser in the range of 1020 W/cm2. Proton energies of up to 6 MeV were obtained from a hybrid acceleration regime between classical Coulomb explosion and shocks. Besides the known thermal energy spectrum, a collective acceleration of oxygen ions of different charge states is observed. 3D PIC simulations and analytical models are employed to support the experiential findings and reveal the potential for further applications and studies.

We report in this paper a novel miniaturized (12 × 18 × 1.6 mm3) microstrip fed UWB antenna with tunable notched band characteristics. The proposed antenna covers the tunable notched band for IEEE 802.11a wireless local area network operating in the frequency band of 5.15–5.825 GHz. The design of proposed antenna includes annular ring radiating patch with two T-shaped strips present inside it. The band notching is obtained by adjusting coupling between T-shaped strips placed inside the annular ring. In order to achieve larger bandwidth the ground plane of the microstrip antenna is modified. The simulated return loss of the proposed antenna has been verified in fabricated antenna experimentally, which has been in good agreement.

A natural phytoplankton assemblage from a pond was grown in semicontinuous cultures receiving phosphorus (P) pulses once every 2 or 6 days. The study shows that the structure of phytoplankton assemblage depends on the mode of P supply. Biomass, expressed as total biovolume, was greatest in cultures receiving P pulse once every 2 days. While the total amount of P administered to both pulsed cultures remained similar, differences in structure of the phytoplankton assemblage were observed during the 4 weeks experimental period. The small sized Navicula cryptocephala became dominant in cultures which did not receive P pulses. Therefore, this species seems to be «affinity specialist» well-adapted to a low P concentration. The replacement of the dominant cyanobacterium Gomphosphaeria aponina by the diatoms Navicula cryptocephala and Synedra ulna in the control and P-pulsed cultures might be due to another factor. The large sized Phormidium mucosum and Hormidium sp. were favoured in cultures pulsed with P at the lowest frequency, which seems to be due mainly to their larger P accumulation capacity. Synedra ulna was favoured to the same extent under the 2 and 6-day pulse periods.

A stratified random cluster sample of 15,845 subjects was performed in two regions of Nepal to determine the prevalence and main causes of hearing impairment (the most common disability) and the prevalence of ear disease. Subjects reporting current ear pain, or ear discharge, or hearing impairment on direct questioning by a Nepali health worker (primary screening failed), had otoscopy and audiometry (using the Liverpool Field Audiometer) performed, and a questionnaire administered relating to past history. In every fifth house subjects who passed the primary screening (1,716 subjects) were examined to assess the false negative rate of screening. An estimated 16.6 per cent of the study population have hearing impairment (either ear worse than 30 dB hearing threshold level (HTL) 1.0–4.0 kHz, or 50 dB HTL 0.5 kHz), and 7.4 per cent ear drum pathology, equivalent to respectively 2.71 and 1.48 million people extrapolated to the whole of Nepal. Most hearing impairment in the school age group (55.2 per cent) is associated with otitis media or its sequelae. Probably at least 14 per cent of sensorineural deafness is preventable (7 per cent infectious disease, 3.9 per cent trauma, 0.8 per cent noise exposure, 1 per cent cretinism, and 1 per cent abnormal pregnancy or labour). Most individuals reporting current ear pathology (61 per cent) had never attended a health post, and of those receiving ear drop treatment, 84 per cent still had serious pathology. Of subjects who reported ear drop treatment at any time, 31 per cent still had serious pathology. The use of traditional remedies was prevalent.

In conclusion this study shows high prevalences of hearing impairment and ear drum pathology. To reduce hearing impairment in Nepal, particularly in the school age group, a priority should be the effective treatment of otitis media.

A field experiment was made in the wheat growing season (November–April) of 1973–4 at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, to compare pure and systematic mixed stands of three wheat genotypes differing in plant height. The systematic mixed stands were made to give prismatic and columnar canopy patterns. Grain yield of wheat was significantly greater in the mixed stands than the mean yield in the pure stands; the two mixed stands did not differ significantly. The grain yield in the mixed stands was almost the same or slightly more than that of the largest yielding genotype in its pure stand. When grown in the mixed stand the tall genotype yielded more than in a pure stand but the dwarf genotype yielded less.

A field experiment was conducted for two years to study the influence of type of seed bed and various mulcheson yield and nutrient uptake by pearl millet, and on moisture conservation, under the semi-arid conditions of Delhi. A flat seedbed stored more moisture, gave significantly higher yield of pearl millet, and increased the uptake of N, P and K, compared withridge and furrow beds. Mulches were effective in conserving moisture, with straw mulch significantly better than dust mulch inits effect on crop yield and nutrient uptake.

Pot-culture experiments were made with the rice variety IR-8 on a sandy clay loam soil to study the relative efficiency of urea, urea treated with nitrification inhibitors N-Serve and AM, AM-fertilizer, and slow-release nitrogen fertilizers IBDTJ, oxamide and N-enriched coal. N-enriched coal supplied very little nitrogen to rice and gave no more yield than the control. All other materials were superior to urea. Largest yield of rough rice and nitrogen uptake by rice was obtained with IBDU and AM-fertilizer. Compared with untreated urea IBDU, oxamide, AM-fertilizer and urea treated with N-Serve or AM left larger amounts of mineral-nitrogen in the soil after the harvest. In the case of nitrification inhibitors residual ammoniacal-nitrogen was more at the higher rates of inhibitors.

A field experiment was made during the rainy seasons of 1968 and 1969 on a sandy loam soil to study the response of Sorghum hybrid CSH–1 to phosphorus in relation to content of water-soluble phosphate in fertilizers. Triple superphosphate, dicalcium phosphate, rock phosphate (200-mesh), nitrophosphate and mixtures of triple superphosphate with dicalcium phosphate and rock phosphate in 3:1, 2:2 and 1:3 ratios were studied. The amounts of phosphorus applied were 30 and 60 kg P2O5/ha. Phosphorus application significantly affected dry matterproduced, plant height, days to 50% bloom, number of grains per ear, thousand-grain weight, stover and grain yield. Triple superphosphate and 3:1 triple superphosphate/dicalcium phosphate mixture were the most effective while rock phosphate and 1:3 triple superphosphate/rock phosphate mixture the least. Differences among sources were more marked in 1968 and at the higher amount i.e. 60 kg P2O5/ha. The response of sorghum to phosphorus was considerably lowered when the water solubility waa below 50% in triple superphosphate/dicalcium phosphate mixtures and below 75% in triple superphosphate/rock phosphate mixtures. Relative effectiveness was assessed by calculating ‘superphosphate equivalents’ and ‘multiple regressions’. Using superphosphate equivalents dicalcium phosphate, nitrophosphate and rock phosphates were 47–53%, 35–56% and 3–25%, respectively, as effective as triple superphosphate.

Two varieties of irrigated rice N.P. 130 (a tall variety) and Taichung Native-1 (a dwarf variety of indica rice) were compared in 1966 and 1967 when grown with several amounts of sodium nitrate and ammonium sulphate. Comparisons of ammonium sulphate treated with ‘N-Serve’ or with ‘AM’ against untreated ammonium sulphate were made.

Applying more than 60–80 kg N/ha did not increase the number of panicles per m with N.P. 130 but lowered the number of spikelets and filled grain percentage. Up to 120 kg N/ha, panicle number and the number of spikelets of Taichung Native-1 increased significantly but the filled grain percentage was not increased; yield of grain responded significantly up to 120 kg N/ha. Taichung Native-1 yielded more grain and less straw than N.P. 130. Increasing the nitrogen applied significantly increased the yield of straw from both varieties.

Ammonium sulphate increased panicle number and reduced the percentage of filled grain compared to sodium nitrate but the increase in panicle number was higher with Taichung Native-1 than with N.P. 130; as a result ammonium sulphate consistently increased the grain yield of Taichung Native-1. When the ammonium sulphate was treated with either inhibitor it gave more grain of Taichung Native-1 than untreated fertilizer; treated fertilizer gave more straw of both varieties.