Neutrino Oscillations, Fluctuations and Solar Magneto-gravity Waves

This review has two parts. The first part summarizes the current observational constraints on fluctuations in the solar medium deep within the solar Radiative Zone, and shows how the KamLAND and SNO-salt data combine to make the experimental determination of the neutrino oscillation parameters largely insensitive to prior assumptions about the nature of these oscillations. As part of a search for plausible sources of solar fluctuations to which neutrinos could be sensitive, the second part of the talk summarizes a preliminary analysis of the influence of magnetic fields on helioseismic waves. Using simplifying assumptions which should apply to modes in the solar radiative zone, we find a resonance between Alfven waves and helioseismic g-modes which potentially modifies the solar density profile fairly significantly over comparatively short distance scales, too narrow to be ruled out by present-day analyses of p-wave helioseismic spectra.Comment: Plenary talk presented at AHEP 2003, Valencia, Spain, October 200

Thermal Treatment Effects on the Calcium Oxalate and Mineral Contents of Xanthosoma Atrovirens (ede ocha): a Cocoyam Species

The extent to which the irritant in cocoyam can be destroyed and removed during thermal treatment and the resultant effect of the treatment on the mineral content and influence of tuber thickness are investigated in this study. Wholesome tubers of cocoyam (Xanthosoma atrovirens) were selected and subsequently cleaned, peeled, washed and size reduced into various dimensions (1cm, 3cm and 5cm thickness). The various dimensions were subjected to boiling and samples were withdrawn at intervals of 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min. The boiled samples were further sliced into smaller sizes; dried in an air- oven at a temperature of 55°C to a constant weight, milled into flour and packed in polythene material and stored in dry condition. The design of the study fitted into 3 (dimension) x 5 (boiling duration) factors. The flours generated were subjected to calcium oxalate and mineral loss or gain analyses. Significant reduction in calcium oxalate occurred at p< 0.05 as the boiling time interval increased. The highest removal of calcium oxalate occurred for the 1.0 cm thickness in which the acrid taste was found to disappear after boiling for 60 min. However the oxalate in the 3.0 cm and 5.0cm thickness were found to disappear after boiling for 120 min. Similarly, mineral losses were significant at intervals of boiling time used for the study. The 1.0 cm thickness showed the highest loss of potassium from the initial value of 1099.27mg/100g flour at 0.0 min to 586.77mg/100g after 120 min. The 3.0 cm, with the initial potassium value 1100.30 mg/100g was reduced to a value of 598.20 mg/100g after 120 min boiling, while the 5.0 cm thickness had potassium value reduced to 607.97 mg/100g at 120 min boiling from the initial potassium value of and 1101.77mg/100g. Also, reductions in minerals were observed for magnesium, phosphorus and calcium. Tuber thickness and boiling duration are the controlling factors in calcium oxalate and mineral loss. It might be recommended that cocoyam be cut to size thickness of 1.0cm since it gave reduced time of cooking of 60 min which resulted to the disappearance of calcium oxalate in the cooked material and energy saving.. Keywords: Xanthosoma Atrovirens; tuber thickness; boiling time; calcium oxalate; mineral loss

Phytochemicals from Selected Tropical Spices and Agro-Food Wastes. Utilization and Applications in Health Sectors: A Review

This review analyzes how modern activities in several food sectors, including agriculture, industry, and residences, are producing more byproducts as a result. These food wastes, which are derived from fruits, vegetables, cereals, and food processing operations, have been demonstrated in studies to hold promise as sources of bioactive compounds and nutraceuticals that may be useful in treating a range of ailments. Researchers have effectively extracted secondary metabolites, minerals, proteins, enzymes, vitamins, phytochemicals and bioactive compounds from these food waste items using various extraction techniques. The article provides a comprehensive overview of different extraction strategies, highlighting successful study efforts, and emphasizes their effective applications in nutraceutical manufacture, health benefits, bioprocess development, and the added value of food waste resources. These technologies offer an interesting way to enhance the production of particular compounds, which can be utilized as nutraceuticals or incorporated into functional beverages in the future

D-Branes and Fluxes in Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics

Type 0A string theory in the (2,4k) superconformal minimal model backgrounds, with background ZZ D-branes or R-R fluxes can be formulated non-perturbatively. The branes and fluxes have a description as threshold bound states in an associated one-dimensional quantum mechanics which has a supersymmetric structure, familiar from studies of the generalized KdV system. The relevant bound state wavefunctions in this problem have unusual asymptotics (they are not normalizable in general, and break supersymmetry) which are consistent with the underlying description in terms of open and closed string sectors. The overall organization of the physics is very pleasing: The physics of the closed strings in the background of branes or fluxes is captured by the generalized KdV system and non-perturbative string equations obtained by reduction of that system (the hierarchy of equations found by Dalley, Johnson, Morris and Watterstam). Meanwhile, the bound states wavefunctions, which describe the physics of the ZZ D-brane (or flux) background in interaction with probe FZZT D-branes, are captured by the generalized mKdV system, and non-perturbative string equations obtained by reduction of that system (the Painleve II hierachy found by Periwal and Shevitz in this context).Comment: 41 pages, LaTe

Impact of nitrogen-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on phenanthrene and benzo[a]pyrene mineralisation in soil

When aromatic hydrocarbons are present in contaminated soils, they often occur in mixtures. The impact of four different (3-ring) nitrogen-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (N-PAHs) on 12/14C-phenanthrene and 12/14C-benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) mineralisation in soil was investigated over a 90 d incubation period. The results revealed that both 12/14C-phenanthrene and 12/14C-benzo[a]pyrene showed no significant mineralisation in soils amended with 10 mg kg –1 and 100 mg kg –1 N-PAHs (p>0.05). However, increases in lag-phases and decreases in the rates and extents of mineralisation were observed, over time. Among the N-PAHs, benzo[h]quinoline impacted 14C-phenanthrene mineralisation with extended and diauxic lag phases. Furthermore,12/14C-B[a]P and 14C-benzo[a]pyrene–nitrogen-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (14C-B[a]P-N-PAHs) amended soils showed extensive lag phases (> 21 d); with some 14C-B[a]P-N-PAH mineralisation recording <1% in both concentrations (10 mg kg –1 and 100 mg kg –1), over time. This study suggests that the presence of N-PAHs in contaminated soil may impact the microbial degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the impact was most likely the result of limited success in achieving absolute biodegradation of some PAHs in soil

Backlund Transformations, D-Branes, and Fluxes in Minimal Type 0 Strings

We study the Type 0A string theory in the (2,4k) superconformal minimal model backgrounds, focusing on the fully non-perturbative string equations which define the partition function of the model. The equations admit a parameter, Gamma, which in the spacetime interpretation controls the number of background D-branes, or R-R flux units, depending upon which weak coupling regime is taken. We study the properties of the string equations (often focusing on the (2,4) model in particular) and their physical solutions. The solutions are the potential for an associated Schrodinger problem whose wavefunction is that of an extended D-brane probe. We perform a numerical study of the spectrum of this system for varying Gamma and establish that when Gamma is a positive integer the equations' solutions have special properties consistent with the spacetime interpretation. We also show that a natural solution-generating transformation (that changes Gamma by an integer) is the Backlund transformation of the KdV hierarchy specialized to (scale invariant) solitons at zero velocity. Our results suggest that the localized D-branes of the minimal string theories are directly related to the solitons of the KdV hierarchy. Further, we observe an interesting transition when Gamma=-1.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figure

In vivo study of the bioavailability and metabolic profile of (poly)phenols after sous-vide artichoke consumption

Artichokes are a rich source of (poly)phenols, mainly caffeoylquinic acids, but little is known about their bioavailability from this source. This study investigated the absorption, metabolism and excretion of (poly)phenols after sous-vide artichoke consumption (5776 µmol of (poly)phenols) by healthy volunteers. Seventy-six (poly)phenol metabolites were identified by UHPLC-MS/MS using authentic standards, including acyl-quinic acids plus C6–C3, C6–C1, C6–C2, C6–C1–N, C6–C0 metabolites, and their phase-II conjugates. The major metabolites were 3ʹ-methoxy-4ʹ-hydroxycinnamic acid, 3ʹ-methoxycinnamic acid-4ʹ-sulfate, and 4ʹ-hydroxycinnamic acid-3ʹ-sulfate, which appeared early in plasma (Tmax 6 h). The 24 h urinary recovery averaged 8.9% (molar basis) of the (poly)phenols consumed. Hepatic beta-oxidation of 3ʹ,4ʹ-dihydroxycinnamic acid and methylated conjugates occurred, but was limited (<0.04%). 3ʹ-Methylation exceeded 4ʹ-methylation and interindividual variability was high, especially for gut microbial metabolites (up to 168-fold)

Non-Abelian Dark Sectors and Their Collider Signatures

Motivated by the recent proliferation of observed astrophysical anomalies, Arkani-Hamed et al. have proposed a model in which dark matter is charged under a non-abelian "dark" gauge symmetry that is broken at ~ 1 GeV. In this paper, we present a survey of concrete models realizing such a scenario, followed by a largely model-independent study of collider phenomenology relevant to the Tevatron and the LHC. We address some model building issues that are easily surmounted to accommodate the astrophysics. While SUSY is not necessary, we argue that it is theoretically well-motivated because the GeV scale is automatically generated. Specifically, we propose a novel mechanism by which mixed D-terms in the dark sector induce either SUSY breaking or a super-Higgs mechanism precisely at a GeV. Furthermore, we elaborate on the original proposal of Arkani-Hamed et al. in which the dark matter acts as a messenger of gauge mediation to the dark sector. In our collider analysis we present cross-sections for dominant production channels and lifetime estimates for primary decay modes. We find that dark gauge bosons can be produced at the Tevatron and the LHC, either through a process analogous to prompt photon production or through a rare Z decay channel. Dark gauge bosons will decay back to the SM via "lepton jets" which typically contain >2 and as many as 8 leptons, significantly improving their discovery potential. Since SUSY decays from the MSSM will eventually cascade down to these lepton jets, the discovery potential for direct electroweak-ino production may also be improved. Exploiting the unique kinematics, we find that it is possible to reconstruct the mass of the MSSM LSP. We also present decay channels with displaced vertices and multiple leptons with partially correlated impact parameters.Comment: 44 pages, 25 figures, version published in JHE

The effect of aging on facial attractiveness: An empirical and computational investigation.

How does aging affect facial attractiveness? We tested the hypothesis that people find older faces less attractive than younger faces, and furthermore, that these aging effects are modulated by the age and sex of the perceiver and by the specific kind of attractiveness judgment being made. Using empirical and computational network science methods, we confirmed that with increasing age, faces are perceived as less attractive. This effect was less pronounced in judgments made by older than younger and middle-aged perceivers, and more pronounced by men (especially for female faces) than women. Attractive older faces were perceived as elegant more than beautiful or gorgeous. Furthermore, network analyses revealed that older faces were more similar in attractiveness and were segregated from younger faces. These results indicate that perceivers tend to process older faces categorically when making attractiveness judgments. Attractiveness is not a monolithic construct. It varies by age, sex, and the dimensions of attractiveness being judged