The advent of modern, high-speed electron detectors has made the collection of multidimensional hyperspectral transmission electron microscopy datasets, such as 4D-STEM, a routine. However, many microscopists find such experiments daunting since analysis, collection, long-term storage, and networking of such datasets remain challenging. Some common issues are their large and unwieldy size that often are several gigabytes, non-standardized data analysis routines, and a lack of clarity about the computing and network resources needed to utilize the electron microscope. The existing computing and networking bottlenecks introduce significant penalties in each step of these experiments, and thus, real-time analysis-driven automated experimentation for multidimensional TEM is challenging. One solution is to integrate microscopy with edge computing, where moderately powerful computational hardware performs the preliminary analysis before handing off the heavier computation to high-performance computing (HPC) systems. Here we trace the roots of computation in modern electron microscopy, demonstrate deep learning experiments running on an edge system, and discuss the networking requirements for tying together microscopes, edge computers, and HPC systems.

An 8-day-old neonate was presented with severe respiratory distress and diagnosed as primary pulmonary hypertension of the newborn on functional echocardiogram. Evaluation showed bounding pulse, enlarged umbilical cord, and bruit over the periumbilical region. Transthoracic echocardiography and CT angiogram showed a large fistulous communication between the umbilical vein and artery suggestive of congenital umbilical arteriovenous malformation leading to high-output cardiac failure and pulmonary artery hypertension. The patient was stabilised with medications and ventilation. Transcatheter closure of communication was done using coils, vascular plug, and KONAR-MFTM device. The patient improved from heart failure soon after the procedure and thriving normally at 6 months of follow-up.

Hybrid rice development, a major advance in rice breeding, has demonstrated its immense potential in enhancing the rice productivity. In the three line system of hybrid rice, the restoration of fertility of the widely used wild-abortive type of cytoplasmic male sterility is controlled by Rf3 and Rf4, two fertility restoration genes. Exploration for restorers in diverse genetic backgrounds is a critical step in hybrid rice breeding. As genetic resources constitute the major source of new genes/alleles, an attempt was made to assess the distribution of these two restorer genes in the native populations collected from the geographic regions known to be the primary and secondary centres of origin of rice. In addition, assays were performed on the populations of Oryza rufipogon and Oryza nivara, the wild progenitors of rice. The results suggest that the Rf genes are well distributed in the wild forms at a higher frequency, more in O. rufipogon, while in cultivated forms, their frequency is low, particularly for the Rf3 gene. The genes and the alleles identified in the genetically divergent, low-performing land races and wild relatives can be successfully employed for the development of new hybrid rice cultivars.

Combined effects of geometrical and material non-linearities on a cantilever beam having symmetrical cross-section about its central axis with a rotational distributed loading are studied. It is assumed that the stress-strain relation in compression is identical to that in tension. Due to this, the neutral axis coincides with the central axis of the beam. The problem is formulated by means of an integral equation which is suitably converted to a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations which are solved using a simple and accurate numerical method. Details of the load deflection characteristics for an I-beam and for a beam of rectangular cross-section are presented.

Fibre reinforced metal laminates (FRMLs) are a new family of aerospace structural materials developed for fatigue critical applications. These materials are laminated sheets of thin and high strength metal layers, usually aluminium, and alternating plies of fibre reinforced polymer composite layers, viz, aramid/epoxy, carbon/epoxy, glass /epoxy, etc. Afaghi-Khatabi and Ye have considered the fracture data existing on various ARALL (aramid reinforced aluminium) laminates containing a circular hole for evaluation of notched tensile strength, using the effective crack growth model (ECGM), point stress criterion (PSC) of Whitney and Nuismer and damage zone criterion (DZC) of Eriksson and Aronsson. It is noted that ECGM overestimates, whereas PSC and DZC underestimate the notched tensile strength of FRMLs. This note highlights briefly the two different criteria of Whitney and Nuismer known as ‘point stress criterion (PSC)’ and ‘average stress criterion (ASC)’, and suggests a modification in the criteria for accurate evaluation of the notched tensile strength.

Large deflection problem of a spring loaded hinged nonuniform cantilever beam subjected to a rotational distributed loading is formulated by means of a second-order non-linear integro-differential equation. The problem is examined by considering the beam of rectangular cross-section with linear depth taper subjected to a uniform rotational distributed load. The elastic curves of a beam for this special case are presented.

Large deflection analysis of a cantilever beam under a tip concentrated rotational load governed by a second order non-linear differential equation is solved using a fourth-order Runge-Kutta integration scheme. Initially the two point boundary value problem is converted to an initial value problem by estimating one of the two required initial conditions in an iterative process, so as to satisfy the other boundary condition. The details of load deflection curves are presented.

Swift heavy ion irradiation is one of the most versatile techniques to alter and monitor the properties of materials in general and at nanoscale in particular. The materials modification can be controlled by a suitable choice of ion beam parameters such as ion species, fluence and incident energy. It is also possible to choose these ion beam parameters in such a way that ion beam irradiation can cause annealing of defects or creation of defects at a particular depth. Here, we present a review of our work on swift heavy ion induced modifications of III-V semiconductor heterostructures and multi-quantum wells in addition to synthesis of Ge nanocrystals using atom beam co-sputtering, RF magnetron sputtering followed by RTA, swift heavy ion irradiation, respectively. We also present the growth of GeO2 nanocrystals by microwave annealing. These samples were studied by using XRD, Raman, PL, RBS and TEM. The observed results and their explanation using possible mechanisms are discussed in detail.

Ge nanocrystals embedded in silica matrix have been synthesized on Si substrate by co-sputtering of SiO2 and Ge using RF magnetron sputtering technique. The as-deposited films were subjected to microwave annealing at 800 and 9000C. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) has been used to measure the Ge composition and film thickness. The structural characterization was performed by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectrometry. XRD measurements confirmed the formation of Ge nanocrystals. Raman scattering spectra showed a peak of Ge-Ge vibrational mode around 299 cm−1, which was caused by quantum confinement of phonons in the Ge nanocrystals. Surface morphology of the samples was studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Variation of nanocrystal size with annealing temperature has been discussed. Advantages of microwave annealing are explained in detail.

We report here swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation induced effects on structural and surface properties of III-nitrides. Tensile strained Al(1-x)InxN/GaN Hetero-Structures (HS) were realized using Metal Organic Chemical Vapour Despotion (MOCVD) technique with indium composition as 12%. Ion species and energies are chosen such that electronic energy deposition rates differ significantly in Al(1-x)InxN and are essential for understanding the ion beam interactions at the interfaces. Thus the samples were irradiated with 80 MeV Ni6+ and 100 MeV Ag7+ ions at varied fluence (1×1012 and 3 ×1012 ions/cm2) to alter the structural properties. Under this energy regime, the structural changes in Al(1-x)InxN would occur due to the intense ultrafast excitations of electrons along the ion path. We employed different characterization techniques like High Resolution X- ray Diffraction (HRXRD) and Rutherford back scattering spectrometry (RBS) for composition, thickness and strain. HRXRD and RBS experimental spectra have been fitted with Philip’s epitaxy SIMNRA code, which yields thickness and composition from compound semiconductors. The surface morphology of pristine and irradiated samples is studied and compared by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM).

Between 1980 and 1986, six field experiments were conducted to investigate the relations between planting density, total dry matter and pod yield of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L. cv. TMV2) grown at different levels of irrigation and rainfall at two sites in central India. In general, the relationship between total dry matter and planting density for most treatments was well described by the function:

where W is the crop dry weight per unit ground area, wm is the maximum weight per plant, Wm is the maximum crop weight per unit ground area and P is the plant population. Because the harvest index, h, was constant for each treatment irrespective of plant population, a similar equation described the relationship between pod yield and planting density. When nine of the eleven treatments planted in a square (i.e. 1:1) arrangement were compared, the asymptotic value Wm varied between treatments depending on available soil water and atmospheric demand. To quantify the effects of plant and environmental factors on crop productivity, a ‘transpiration equivalent’ (ωw; (g/kg)/kPa), i.e. the product of the dry matter/water ratio and mean seasonal saturation deficit D, was used as a crop constant to calculate productivity at each site or season from a knowledge of seasonal rainfall and/or irrigation and soil water-holding capacity. Thus, total crop productivity, W'8, was calculated using the equation W'8 = ωwS/D where S (mm) is a soil supply term dependent on soil water-holding capacity and monthly values of rainfall and/or irrigation. When values for Wm and W'8 were plotted against each other, a linear regression was obtained with a slope = 1·02 (R2 = 0·78). The mean harvest index of 0·38 was used to predict pod yield from a knowledge of W'8. It was concluded that of all the climatic, soil and management factors that influence crop growth in semi-arid situations, it is the interaction between the supply of and demand for water that ultimately determines total productivity, pod yield and optimum plant population.

Water use efficiency (WUE) was measured on fourteen genotypes of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) grown in containers under adequately irrigated and water-limited conditions. The genotypes used similar amounts of water but produced different quantities of dry matter. WUE accounted for > 92% of the variation in dry matter production under both irrigated and water-limited conditions. There was a significant increase in WUE under water-limited conditions. Four genotypes selected from the container experiment as having either a high or a low WUE under non-limited or limited water input conditions were further tested under prolonged water deficit conditions in a field experiment. WUE varied significantly between genotypes and there was a positive correlation between WUE and the quantity of dry matter produced by the genotypes. The results suggested that, in three out of four genotypes, the WUE measured in the container experiment was positively correlated with the WUE estimated under field conditions.

Three short duration and one long duration groundnut genotypes, grown either ‘sole’ or as intercrops (in 1:1 ratios of the short duration with the long duration genotypes), were compared in four trials. The intercrop treatments resulted in Land Equivalent Ratios (LERs) of up to 1.25 for pod yield and total biomass despite moderate or severe water deficits at the end of the season. Specific combinations of genotypes were necessary to maximize the LER. The results indicate there is scope for achieving greater productivity in environments with a variable season length by growing late and early genotypes together in an intercrop system.

Four genotypes of groundnut grown with limited irrigation in a medium depth Alfisol in Central India transpired similar total amounts of water (220–226 mm) over the season, but produced different amounts of shoot dry matter (390–490 g m−2). The extraction front of Kadiri 3 moved most rapidly down the soil profile which may have enabled it to maintain the fastest rates of transpiration when soil water depletion was greatest. Tap root extension rates of Kadiri 3 in the first 32 days after sowing were also the fastest. NC Ac 17090 was more efficient than the other genotypes in extracting water immediately after irrigation from the upper 40 cm of the soil, but this had little value in determining the pattern of water availability in this experiment. Differences in the water extraction characteristics of these genotypes explain little of the variation in dry matter:water ratio, and do not account for the major variation in harvest index associated with drought.

The growth of roots and shoots was measured in stands of groundnut grown at a number of populations on stored water in central India. Total weight and length of roots per unit land area increased with population density, but the proportional increases were much less than for shoot weight. Consequently the root:total weight ratio increased from 0.3 in the densest stand to almost 0.5 in the widely spaced crop. The denser stands produced a greater proportion of their roots at depth. In wide rows there was little change in rooting density across the inter-row space.

Total dry matter per unit land area increased with population, although the weight per plant was less in denser stands. Although the crops were harvested prematurely, pod yield per unit land area, unlike total dry matter, was no greater in dense stands than in more widely spaced crops. The greatest number of pods per unit land area was recorded at an intermediate population density.

Rates of leaf development in four groundnut genotypes were found to depend primarily on temperature, although there was a linear relation between the thermal time to produce one leaf and mean leaf water potential below −0.6 MPa. Flower, peg and pod production was analysed in relation to leaf number, since this integrated effects of temperature and water status.

When water was not limited, the ratio of pod number: peg number was about 0.8 for all four genotypes. During drought only one genotype (TMV 2) maintained this value, while for the other genotypes the ratio was approximately 0.15. Genotypes also showed different patterns of development during recovery from drought. TMV 2 maintained relatively high values of partitioning factor throughout the pod-filling period, resulting in the largest harvest index and pod yield. Kadiri 3 achieved the second largest harvest index and pod yield by maintaining production of pegs during drought and only forming pods when stress was relieved.

At a field site in central India, four populations of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) were grown on stored water to investigate how the production of shoot and root dry matter is related to transpired water and intercepted radiation. Throughout the season, total dry matter was closely related to transpiration (slope = 3.0 mg dry matter g−1 water) and the amount of radiation intercepted by foliage (slope = 0.74 g dry matter MJ−1 radiation intercepted). Accumulated transpiration increased linearly with intercepted radiation at 0.37 kg water MJ−1 in the sparser stands. In the densest spacing, the initial slope of the relation at 0.28 kg MJ−1 decreased later in the season because water deficits curtailed growth without a concomitant reduction in the interception of radiation.

Four genotypes of groundnut grown with limited irrigation during the post-rainy season in Central India produced similar amounts of dry matter per unit of intercepted solar radiation (e) before pod-filling, although different e values were observed during pod-filling. The relation between cumulative transpiration and intercepted radiation was similar for all genotypes. When drought became severe, fractional radiation interception (f) was reduced by folding of leaves, with little decrease in leaf area (L). The ratio f/√L was used as an index of the degree of leaf folding and was correlated with leaf water potential. The degree of folding varied with genotype and may have contributed to the observed differences in e and the dry matter:water ratio (q). The genotype EC76446(292) had the smallest q and largest f/√L ratio (the poorest radiation avoidance), while Kadiri 3 had the largest q and smallest value of f/√L.