Experiments in economics usually provide subjects with starting capital to be used in the experiment. This practice could affect decisions as there is no risk of loss. This phenomenon is known as the house-money effect. In a repeated public goods game, we test for house-money effects by paying subjects in advance an amount they could lose in the experiment. We do not find evidence of a house-money effect over time.

Ultra-thin flakes of layered materials have recently been attracting widespread research interest due to their exotic properties. In this work, we study the optoelectronic response of a hybrid of two such materials – graphene and MoS2. Our devices consist of mechanically exfoliated graphene flakes transferred on top of similarly exfoliated MoS2. The electrical response of the hybrid is studied in the presence of white light. We show that the four-point resistance of graphene is modulated in the presence of light. This effect is observed to be a strong function of gate voltage. We have also extended our studies to CVD (chemical vapor deposition) - grown graphene transferred onto MoS2 which show qualitatively similar features, thereby attesting to the scalability of the device architecture.

Activation of prophenol oxidase of Fasciola gigantica has been demonstrated using biochemical and electrophoretic techniques. Based on the difference in the electrophoretic pattern of the proenzyme and activated enzyme, a probable mechanism of activation of the prophenol oxidase is suggested. A role for Mehlis' gland in the activation process is suggested. The significance of the results is discussed in the light of related studies in insects.

Meningo-encephalocoele of the temporal bone, also known as fungus cerebri, is a rare occurrence in clinical practice. We present a series of 13 patients with chronic otitis media who suffered brain herniation into the mastoid cavity. We also discuss the presentation and management of brain herniation with or without cerebrospinal fluid leak.

Otosclerosis is an early-middle adult life genetic disease affecting bone remodelling in the ear. Current knowledge of otosclerosis as an inherited disease dates to the mid-19th century, and we report here an attempt to understand the genetics of otosclerosis and detect its heterogeneity. The analysis was conducted on 151 otosclerotic families. The results of our study indicate that while heredity plays an important role in the manifestation of the disease a substantial portion of otosclerotic cases could arise due to non-genetic causes.

Cerebellar herniation into the mastoid through the posterior aspect of the temporal bone as a result of chronic suppurative otitis media and mastoid surgery is a rare event. A case is reported in which such a hernia presented subcutaneously behind the pinna; its repair is discussed.

Some concepts of dependence have recently been introduced by Ebrahimi (1987) to explore the structural properties of the hitting times of bivariate processes. In this framework, the special case of univariate processes has curious features. New properties are derived for this case. Some applications to sequential inference and inequalities for Brownian motion and new better than used (NBU) processes are also provided.