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In this study a comparison of the canopy architecture and the growth and distribution of roots was made in 10-year-old trees of Hevea brasiliensis grown in a severely drought-prone area on the west coast of India under rainfed and irrigated conditions. LAI and light interception increased significantly in the irrigated compared to the rainfed trees. Girth and height of the tree were 29 and 19% more while width and height of the canopy were 19 and 20% more in the irrigated than rainfed trees. There were 22% more primary branches which had 26% more diameter in the irrigated trees than rainfed trees. The branches were inserted on the main trunk at an angle of 58.36° in the irrigated and 44.22° in rainfed trees. The above changes led to more light penetration which altered the light distribution inside the rainfed trees during summer and inhibited leaf photosynthesis particularly in the top canopy leaves. In the rainfed trees most of the growth occurred during the short favorable season immediately after the monsoon between June and October and no growth or even shrinking of the trunk was seen during summer. In the irrigated trees a higher growth was seen throughout the year and summer had no adverse effect. Although there was some difference in the root distribution pattern, the total root density per unit soil volume did not vary between the irrigated and rainfed trees.

Ameloblastoma is the second most common benign odontogenic tumour (Shafer et al. 2006) which constitutes 1–3% of all cysts and tumours of jaw, with locally aggressive behaviour, high recurrence rate, and a malignant potential (Chaine et al. 2009). Various treatment algorithms for ameloblastoma have been reported; however, a universally accepted approach remains unsettled and controversial (Chaine et al. 2009). The treatment algorithm to be chosen depends on size (Escande et al. 2009 and Sampson and Pogrel 1999), anatomical location (Feinberg and Steinberg 1996), histologic variant (Philipsen and Reichart 1998), and anatomical involvement (Jackson et al. 1996). In this paper various such treatment modalities which include enucleation and peripheral osteotomy, partial maxillectomy, segmental resection and reconstruction done with fibula graft, and radical resection and reconstruction done with rib graft and their recurrence rate are reviewed with study of five cases.

Probabilistic methods enable the modelling of the uncertainties associated with the integrity assessment of structures containing defects to be taken into account. This paper presents a critical review of recent developments in the probabilistic modelling of the uncertainties associated with fatigue and fracture reliability assessment. A number of probabilistic models for the principal parameters in the S-N curve, fatigue crack growth functions and fracture analysis are presented and discussed with particular emphasis on the identification of future needs for the development of suitable code procedures for offshore structures.