A 21-year-old female presented with history of vague abdominal discomfort, vomiting, and weight loss for 6 months. The vomiting had gotten more frequent in the last 2 months, a few hours following almost every meal. She had lost about 8 kg body weight in 6 months. Her body mass index was 17.36 kg/m 2. Following an unremarkable ultrasound of the abdomen and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, a barium meal was obtained which showed an abrupt cutoff at the third part of duodenum with proximal distention (Figure 1). A contrast-enhanced computerized tomography (CECT) showed an aorto-mesenteric angle (AO) of 20° (Figure 2) and the aorto-mesenteric distance (AO) of 2.9 mm (Figure 3). Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome was diagnosed. The patient was kept under conservative management. Highcalorie, low-volume diet and prokinetic agents were prescribed via a naso-jejunal tube. She was symptomatically better and was gaining weight. Oral feeding was encouraged, and naso-jejunal tube was removed by the third week. However, she was lost to follow-up after 3 months. Superior mesenteric artery syndrome is considered one of the rare causes of duodenal obstruction. Reduced AO angle (<22-28°) and AO distance (2-8 mm) are highly suggestive. 1

The auto-ignition process plays a major role in the combustion, performance, fuel economy and emission in diesel engines. The auto-ignition quality of different fuels has been rated by its cetane number (CN) determined in the CFR engine, according to ASTM D613. More recently, the Ignition Quality Tester (IQT), a constant volume vessel, has been used to determine the derived cetane number (DCN) to avoid the elaborate, time consuming and costly engine tests, according to ASTM D6890. The ignition delay period in these two standard tests and many investigations has been considered to be the time period between start of injection (SOI) and start of combustion (SOC). The ignition delay (ID) values determined in different investigations can vary due to differences in instrumentation and definitions. This paper examines the different definitions and the parameters that effect ID period. In addition the activation energy dependence on the ID definition is investigated. Furthermore, results of an experimental investigation in a single-cylinder research diesel engine will be presented while the charge density is kept constant during the ID period. The global activation energy is determined and its sensitivity to the charge temperature is examined.

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The Siwalik Group (Sub-Himalaya) is the east-west extending youngest mountain belt formed by the sediments derived from the rising Himalaya on the north. The Siwalik Group is separated from the Lesser Himalaya to the north by the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT), and the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the south by the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT). The study was carried out mainly along the Ratu Nadi, Kamala Nadi river sections and was lithostratigraphically divided into the Lower Siwalik, Middle Siwalik, and Upper Siwalik, from the bottom to the top section, respectively. The Lower Siwalik is composed of fine-grained greenish grey calcareous sandstone (subarkose and lithic arenite), variegated mudstone, and calcareous siltstone. The Lower Siwalik is exposed due to the Marine Khola Thrust in the Gadyauli Khola, and sandstone there is more indurated and non-calcareous. The Middle Siwalik is mainly comprised of the medium- to coarse-grained salt-and-pepper sandstone (arkose and subarkose) with large cross lamination, calcareous sand lenses, convolute bedding, dark grey siltstone and mudstone. Plant fossils are also present in the finely laminated clay bed of the Middle Siwalik along the Ratu Nadi section. The Upper Siwalik comprises of mud- to sand-supported pebble to cobble conglomerates.

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