Neutrino masses, cosmological bound and four zero Yukawa textures

Four zero neutrino Yukawa textures in a specified weak basis, combined with $\mu\tau$ symmetry and type-I seesaw, yield a highly constrained and predictive scheme. Two alternately viable $3\times3$ light neutrino Majorana mass matrices $m_{\nu A}/m_{\nu B}$ result with inverted/normal mass ordering. Neutrino masses, Majorana in character and predicted within definite ranges with laboratory and cosmological inputs, will have their sum probed cosmologically. The rate for $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay, though generally below the reach of planned experiments, could approach it in some parameter region. Departure from $\mu\tau$ symmetry due to RG evolution from a high scale and consequent CP violation, with a Jarlskog invariant whose magnitude could almost reach $6\times 10^{-3}$, are explored.Comment: Published versio

Effects of climate and landuse activities on water quality in the Yarra River catchment

Abstract: Since sediment and nutrient concentrations vary with landuses in different climatic conditions, it is critical in understanding the connection between different landuses activities and water quality, and developing appropriate management strategies for a catchment. The objective of this paper is to assess the effects of climate and landuse activities on nutrient and sediment loads at 5 selected water quality monitoring stations in the Yarra River catchment of Victoria, Australia for 1994-2008 periods. A data-based technique was applied to achieve the above objective using long-term in-stream water quality data and other readily available tools. The methodology addressed the issues of selecting water quality stations, catchment disaggregation, identification of major landuse types, analysis of pollutant concentrations and loads in different climatic conditions, and suitable data-based method (regression model LOADEST) to estimate pollutant loadings. Climatic data were collected from the SILO climate database and the Bureau of Meteorology. Precipitation data from 16 stations and temperature data from 4 stations located in the Middle Yarra segment were collected for the period of 1980-2008. Daily streamflow and monthly water quality grab sample data of Total Suspended Solid (TSS), Total Nitrogen (TN) and Total Phosphorus (TP) were available for the 5 stations from Melbourne Water. ArcGIS 9.3 tool was used for catchment disaggregation and major landuse type identification using ASTER 30m global digital elevation model and landuse map (50m grid raster data collected from Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences). The water quality monitoring stations were selected based on data availability and dominant major landuse types (urban, agriculture and forest). The dominant landuse type in the tributary stations was either agriculture or urban where as in the main Yarra River stations; it was forest-agriculture mix type. There was an abrupt drop in rainfall after 1996 known as millennium drought in the catchment, and the most extreme rainfall event occurs in that drought period. The study period was categorised into wet, dry and average years based on rainfall for water quality analysis purposes. Since the correlations between the concentrations of TSS, TN, TP, and streamflow (TSS: 0.57-0.72; TN: 0.50-0.57 and TP: 0.50-0.57 except station 5) were high and statistically significant (p<0.01), a regression method based model LOADEST was used to estimate constituent loads from the grab sample data. The LOADEST model is well documented, and is accepted as a valid means of calculating constituent load from a limited number of water quality data. The LOADEST model performed well in estimating TSS, TN and TP loads. Coefficients of determination (R 2 ) for the regression models in LOADEST were greater than 0.84, 0.94 and 0.88 for TSS, TN and TP respectively at all stations. In general, TSS, TN and TP mean concentrations were higher in wet years than in the dry and average years, except at stations 2 and 3 where TN mean concentrations were higher in the average years. Also, TSS and TP mean concentrations were higher in the dry years than in the average years. This is due to the direct correlation of TSS and TP, and high runoff events. In addition, TSS, TN and TP mean concentrations were higher in the urban areas, and then in the agricultural areas. The four wet years (1995, 1996, 2000 and 2004) carried out on average 60% of TSS, 51% of TN and 53% of TP loadings in the monitoring stations. During the study period (1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008), the highest export rates of TSS, TN and TP were from urban areas, and the lowest export rates of TSS and TP were from forest areas, and TN from agricultural areas. Overall, water quality and constituent concentrations were influenced by rainfall events and landuse types

Cultivation of Shiitake mushroom - a potential agro-industry for hilly areas of North Eastern India

74-78The survival and economic prosperity of various ethnic people of North eastern India largely depends upon rationale wise utilization and sustainable development of its local resources. Recently, Japanese wood mushroom commonly called as shiitake or golden oak mushroom [Lentinula edodes (Berk) Sing] has been explored for its large scale cultivation and production leading to conservation of biodiversity and economic upliftment of the local people. Shiitake mushroom is in high demand in the local markets due to its unique characteristic taste and usefulness in health care such as diabetes, hypertension, tumours, antiviral and as immuno-stimulant. On taking up its commercial cultivation one can earn a net profit of Rs. 4000 to 11,000 per annum from a mushroom cultivable shed of the size 4×4 m2

Port exteriorization appendectomy: Is it the future?

ABSTRACT The time honoured surgical procedure open appendectomy seems to be on the decline, it may be replaced in the modern era by laparoscopic appendectomy ("in appendectomy") performed with three trocars, or by the port exteriorization appendectomy ("out appendectomy") which can be done with two ports or even one. These techniques combine the benefits of decreased tissue trauma and operative time in addition to other advantages of minimal invasion. We conducted this study to know the effectiveness of Port Exteriorization Appendectomy, to analyze its complications and to assess the conversion rate. A one year prospective study consisted of fifty cases; a combination of emergency and elective group. They were operated under general anaesthesia and different variables were documented. Mean operative time, conversion rate, hospital stay, complications and patient satisfaction. There were 27 females with the (F: M) ratio of 1.17:1. The operative time of 23.3 mins, conversion in 4 (8.0%) patients and 2.4 days of hospital stay contributed to 86.0% operative success rate. Surgical site infection was seen in 5 (10.0%) patients and one (2.0%) developed pelvic abscess. On analysis of the satisfaction level, 44(93.6%) were completely satisfied and one (2.1%) patient seemed disappointed with the technique for cosmesis though, 42 (89.3%) remained completely satisfied and 5(10.7%) didn't like their scars. Port exteriorization appendectomy's efficacy can be verified by 86.0% success rate, operative time of 23.3 mins, indoor stay of 2.4 days, and minimal undesirable sequlae. However, more authentic results could be obtained if this technique is compared to open or laparoscopic appendectomy in a well designed randomized controlled clinical trial

Participatory policy analysis in health policy and systems research: reflections from a study in Nepal.

Background Participatory policy analysis (PPA) as a method in health policy and system research remains underexplored. Using our experiences of conducting PPA workshops in Nepal to explore the impact of the country’s move to federalism on its health system, we reflect on the method’s strengths and challenges. We provide an account of the study context, the design and implementation of the workshops, and our reflections on the approach’s strengths and challenges. Findings on the impact of federalism on the health system are beyond the scope of this manuscript. Main body We conducted PPA workshops with a wide range of health system stakeholders (political, administrative and service-level workforce) at the local and provincial levels in Nepal. The workshops consisted of three activities: river of life, brainstorming and prioritization, and problem-tree analysis. Our experiences show that PPA workshops can be a valuable approach to explore health policy and system issues – especially in a context of widespread systemic change which impacts all stakeholders within the health system. Effective engagement of stakeholders and activities that encourage both individual- and system-level reflections and discussions not only help in generating rich qualitative data, but can also address gaps in participants’ understanding of practical, technical and political aspects of the health system, aid policy dissemination of research findings, and assist in identifying short- and long-term practice and policy issues that need to be addressed for better health system performance and outcomes. Conducting PPA workshops is, however, challenging for a number of reasons, including the influence of gatekeepers and power dynamics between stakeholders/participants. The role and skills of researchers/facilitators in navigating such challenges are vital for success. Although the long-term impact of such workshops needs further research, our study shows the usefulness of PPA workshops for researchers, for participants and for the wider health system. Conclusions PPA workshops can effectively generate and synthesize health policy and system evidence through collaborative engagement of health system stakeholders with varied roles. When designed with careful consideration for context and stakeholders’ needs, it has great potential as a method in health policy and systems research

Towards Minimal S4 Lepton Flavor Model

We study lepton flavor models with the $S_4$ flavor symmetry. We construct simple models with smaller numbers of flavon fields and free parameters, such that we have predictions among lepton masses and mixing angles. The model with a $S_4$ triplet flavon is not realistic, but we can construct realistic models with two triplet flavons, or one triplet and one doublet flavons.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, references are adde

The Golden Ratio Prediction for the Solar Angle from a Natural Model with A5 Flavour Symmetry

We formulate a consistent model predicting, in the leading order approximation, maximal atmospheric mixing angle, vanishing reactor angle and tan {\theta}_12 = 1/{\phi} where {\phi} is the Golden Ratio. The model is based on the flavour symmetry A5 \times Z5 \times Z3, spontaneously broken by a set of flavon fields. By minimizing the scalar potential of the theory up to the next-to-leading order in the symmetry breaking parameter, we demonstrate that this mixing pattern is naturally achieved in a finite portion of the parameter space, through the vacuum alignment of the flavon fields. The leading order approximation is stable against higher-order corrections. We also compare our construction to other models based on discrete symmetry groups.Comment: 28 pages, 2 figures. Minor changes, references added. Corrected typos in Appendix A. Version appeared on JHE

Suppression of AP1 Transcription Factor Function in Keratinocyte Suppresses Differentiation

Our previous study shows that inhibiting activator protein one (AP1) transcription factor function in murine epidermis, using dominant-negative c-jun (TAM67), increases cell proliferation and delays differentiation. To understand the mechanism of action, we compare TAM67 impact in mouse epidermis and in cultured normal human keratinocytes. We show that TAM67 localizes in the nucleus where it forms TAM67 homodimers that competitively interact with AP1 transcription factor DNA binding sites to reduce endogenous jun and fos factor binding. Involucrin is a marker of keratinocyte differentiation that is expressed in the suprabasal epidermis and this expression requires AP1 factor interaction at the AP1-5 site in the promoter. TAM67 interacts competitively at this site to reduce involucrin expression. TAM67 also reduces endogenous c-jun, junB and junD mRNA and protein level. Studies with c-jun promoter suggest that this is due to reduced transcription of the c-jun gene. We propose that TAM67 suppresses keratinocyte differentiation by interfering with endogenous AP1 factor binding to regulator elements in differentiation-associated target genes, and by reducing endogenous c-jun factor expression

Spontaneous R-Parity Violation, A4A_4 Flavor Symmetry and Tribimaximal Mixing

We explore the possibility of spontaneous R parity violation in the context of $A_4$ flavor symmetry. Our model contains $SU(3)_c \times SU(2)_L \times U(1)_Y$ singlet matter chiral superfields which are arranged as triplet of $A_4$ and as well as few additional Higgs chiral superfields which are singlet under MSSM gauge group and belong to triplet and singlet representation under the $A_4$ flavor symmetry. R parity is broken spontaneously by the vacuum expectation values of the different sneutrino fields and hence we have neutrino-neutralino as well as neutrino-MSSM gauge singlet higgsino mixings in our model, in addition to the standard model neutrino- gauge singlet neutrino, gaugino-higgsino and higgsino-higgsino mixings. Because all of these mixings we have an extended neutral fermion mass matrix. We explore the low energy neutrino mass matrix for our model and point out that with some specific constraints between the sneutrino vacuum expectation values as well as the MSSM gauge singlet Higgs vacuum expectation values, the low energy neutrino mass matrix will lead to a tribimaximal mixing matrix. We also analyze the potential minimization for our model and show that one can realize a higher vacuum expectation value of the $SU(3)_c \times SU(2)_L \times U(1)_Y$ singlet sneutrino fields even when the other sneutrino vacuum expectation values are extremely small or even zero.Comment: 18 page