Search for Dark Matter with LHC proton Beam Dump

Dark Matter (DM) comprising particles in the mass range of a few MeV to GeV is waiting to be explored, given the many theoretical models accommodating cosmological abundance. We hereby propose an experiment with the LHC proton beam of 7 TeV striking onto the beam dump target, emitting neutrinos and possibly, Dark Matter candidates. This experiment would also permit to observe signatures involving elastic and inelastic processes involving DM candidates, electrons and strongly interacting particles present in nuclei of the dump target. There will be residual neutrino background present in each of these signatures, hence the proposed experimental detector sub-systems would be such that they would involve as final states, elastically or inelasticity scattered, standard model particles. The bump or the excess in the tail of the kinematic distributions will eventually give us glimpse of presence of new particles which could possibly be Dark Matter candidates. Given the parameters of the LHC machine, the sensitivity of such an experiment is unique in the energy region it is supposed to exploit

A Bottom Up Procedure for Text Line Segmentation of Latin Script

In this paper we present a bottom up procedure for segmentation of text lines written or printed in the Latin script. The proposed method uses a combination of image morphology, feature extraction and Gaussian mixture model to perform this task. The experimental results show the validity of the procedure.Comment: Accepted and presented at the IEEE conference "International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communications and Informatics (ICACCI) 2017

THE EFFECT OF STORE ENVIRONMENT ON CONSUMER EVALUATIONS AND BEHAVIOR TOWARD SINGLE-BRAND APPAREL RETAILERS

This study aimed to assess consumer behavior towards single-brand apparel retailers by employing the Stimulus-Organism-Response model. In addition to the traditional store atmospheric stimuli of social cues, design cues, and ambient cues, this study introduced merchandise cues as a stimulus within the single-brand apparel retail store. This study also incorporated both cognitive and affective evaluations as consumers‘ internal states. The effect of stimulus on approach-avoidance behaviors was mediated by these internal states. This study also introduced the concept of ‗store as a brand‘ which was evaluated to identify whether consumers considered the single-brand apparel retail store and the merchandise carried by the store to be a single holistic entity. The specific research objectives of this study were to investigate: (1) the effects of store atmospheric cues and merchandise cues on cognitive evaluation toward store and merchandise, respectively; (2) the effects of cognitive evaluation toward store and merchandise on affective evaluation toward store and merchandise, respectively; (3) the effects of cognitive and affective evaluation towards store and merchandise on approach-avoidance behaviors; and (4) the ‗store as a brand‘ concept wherein the paths between the two internal evaluations were postulated to be equal for store and merchandise. This study was conducted in the context of single-brand apparel retailers. A mall intercept survey methodology was employed to collect the data and 438 completed responses were used for the data analyses. All the constructs had acceptable levels of composite reliability and was valid in terms of convergent and discriminant validity. The data were analyzed by using a structural equation modeling approach. Several hypotheses were significant as proposed except vi for a few which were not significant. Design cues were found to have an insignificant relationship with cognitive evaluations toward the store. Cognitive evaluations toward merchandise and affective evaluations toward store were found not to be significant. The results supported the ‗store as a brand‘ concept, thereby validating that consumers do not perceive the store and the merchandise sold by the single-brand apparel retailer to be different from each other. Research implications, managerial implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research were provided

The Effectiveness of Case-Based Learning in Facilitating Clinical Reasoning Skills in Undergraduate Anatomy and Physiology Instruction

Case-based learning (CBL) is an approach that uses clinical case activities in the classroom to engage students and encourage a deeper understanding of scientific concepts. Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) is a course that many students take as a prerequisite for admission to professional health schools. This study investigated the effect of CBL in facilitating clinical reasoning skills (CRS) in undergraduate A&P instruction. Undergraduate students from two classes taught by the same instructor participated in the study. One class (experimental group, n = 24 ) was taught with the CBL approach, and the other class (control group, n = 24 ) was taught without CBL. Quantitative data collected for this study were scores on the pretest and posttest clinical reasoning problem (CRP) instrument about the central nervous system, autonomic nervous system, and special senses. A 2 × 2 (CBL vs. No CBL × Pre-Posttest) mixed-model analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed for each of the three systems with the scores on CRP as a dependent variable. Nine students were selected for interviews from the control and experimental groups based on their CRP assessments. Interviews were conducted after the completion of each CRP assessment, and content analysis was performed for the interview data.Analysis of the quantitative data revealed an increase in mean scores from pretest to posttest for those in the experimental group but a decrease in mean scores from pretest to posttest for those in the control group. Scores on special senses revealed a significant group × time interaction effect. Analysis of the interviews revealed that students in the experimental group utilized A&P concepts while reasoning through the CRP assessments. These results suggest that CBL may help facilitate CRS

In vitro propagation of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal. from shoot apex explants

In vitro rapid micropropagation of Withania somnifera; has been achieved using shoot apex explants, when cultured on MS medium with different auxins: Indole Butyric Acid (IBA) 0.5-4 mg/l, Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) 2 mg/l and Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) 0.5-3 mg/l and cytokinin: Benzyl Amino Purine (BAP) 0.5-4 mg/l. NAA and BAP stimulated direct as well as callus mediated multiple shoot. IBA alone and in combination with IAA stimulated rhizogenesis, while IBA with NAA proliferated callus-mediated rhizogenesis. The rooted plantlets through sequential hardening process could be established in the field

Effect of phytohormones on shoot apex and leaf explants of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha)

An efficient protocol for callus induction of Withania somnifera through in vitro culture of shoot apex and leaf explant was standardized. Of the various combinations of phytohormones evaluated, MS media supplemented with 6-furfuryl aminopurine (KIN) 0.5 mg/l + 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2, 4-D) 2.0 mg/l was found to be bestfor mean callus induction (86%) in leaf explants after 6 weeks of culture and in case of shoot apex expant the best response and growth of callusing was observed on MS medium supplemented with 2,4-D 1.0 mg/l + BAP 2.0 mg/l (77%).The response of callus growth increases gradually with the reductions in concentration of KIN in culturemedium of both the explants. This protocol might be used in further research for mass propagation of W. somnifera via indirect regeneration methods