Man-eating and cattle-lifting by tigers and conservation implications in India

Chauhan, N.P.S

Human casualties and agricultural crop raiding by wild pigs and mitigation strategies in India

Chauhan, N.P.S

Agricultural crop depredation by nilgai antelope (Boselaphus tragocamelus) and mitigation strategies: challenges in India

Chauhan, N.P.S

Perturbativity constraints on U(1)B−LU(1)_{B-L} and left-right models and implications for heavy gauge boson searches

We derive perturbativity constraints on beyond standard model scenarios with extra gauge groups, such as $SU(2)$ or $U(1)$, whose generators contribute to the electric charge, and show that there are both upper and lower limits on the additional gauge couplings, from the requirement that the couplings remain perturbative up to the grand unification theory (GUT) scale. This leads to stringent constraints on the masses of the corresponding gauge bosons and their collider phenomenology. We specifically focus on the models based on $SU(2)_L\times U(1)_{I_{3R}} \times U(1)_{B-L}$ and the left-right symmetric models based on $SU(2)_L\times SU(2)_R\times U(1)_{B-L}$, and discuss the implications of the perturbativity constraints for new gauge boson searches at current and future colliders. In particular, we find that the stringent flavor constraints in the scalar sector of left-right model set a lower bound on the right-handed scale $v_R \gtrsim 10$ TeV, if all the gauge and quartic couplings are to remain perturbative up to the GUT scale. This precludes the prospects of finding the $Z_R$ boson in the left-right model at the LHC, even in the high-luminosity phase, and leaves only a narrow window for the $W_R$ boson. A much broader allowed parameter space, with the right-handed scale $v_R$ up to $\simeq 87$ TeV, could be probed at the future 100 TeV collider.Comment: 30 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables, minor changes, version to be published in JHE

Human-leopard conflict in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, India

Kumar, D., Chauhan, N.P.S

Predictions from non trivial Quark-Lepton complementarity

The complementarity between the quark and lepton mixing matrices is shown to provide robust predictions. We obtain these predictions by first showing that the matrix V_M, product of the quark (CKM) and lepton (PMNS) mixing matrices, may have a zero (1,3) entry which is favored by experimental data. We obtain that any theoretical model with a vanishing (1,3) entry of V_M that is in agreement with quark data, solar, and atmospheric mixing angle leads to $\theta_{13}^{PMNS}=(9{^{+1}_{-2}})^\circ$. This value is consistent with the present 90% CL experimental upper limit. We also investigate the prediction on the lepton phases. We show that the actual evidence, under the only assumption that the correlation matrix V_M product of CKM and PMNS has a zero in the entry (1,3), gives us a prediction for the three CP-violating invariants J, S_1, and S_2. A better determination of the lepton mixing angles will give stronger prediction for the CP-violating invariants in the lepton sector. These will be tested in the next generation experiments. Finally we compute the effect of non diagonal neutrino mass in "l_i -> l_j gamma" in SUSY theories with non trivial Quark-Lepton complementarity and a flavor symmetry. The Quark-Lepton complementarity and the flavor symmetry strongly constrain the theory and we obtain a clear prediction for the contribution to "mu -> e gamma" and the "tau" decays "tau -> e gamma" and "tau -> mu gamma". If the Dirac neutrino Yukawa couplings are degenerate but the low energy neutrino masses are not degenerate, then the lepton decays are related among them by the V_M entries. On the other hand, if the Dirac neutrino Yukawa couplings are hierarchical or the low energy neutrino masses are degenerate, then the prediction for the lepton decays comes from the CKM hierarchy.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, ws-ijmpa class included, Proceedings of the CTP Symposium on Sypersymmetry at LH

Development of spiced squash (appetizer) from wild prickly pear (Opuntia dillenii Haw.) and its quality evaluation during storage

Wild prickly pear (Opuntia dillenii Haw.) is one of the wild fruit with great importance because of its high antioxidants, colour pigments and other quality parameters besides its medicinal properties. In India, there are only a limited number of reports pertaining to utilization of this fruit which further lack the development of value added novel products. So, the present studies were carried out for the development of spiced squash or appetizer from wild prickly pear fruit and its quality evaluation during storage. Different combinations of fruit juice (25, 30, 35 and 40 %) and sugar syrup (40 and 45 °B) were tried to standardize a proper combination for appetizer. The appetizer prepared by using the best recipe with 35 % juice, 45 °B TSS (Total soluble solids) and 1.20 % acidity was packed in two packaging materials viz. glass and PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) bottles which were further stored for six months under ambient and refrigerated temperature conditions. Appetizer packed in glass as well as in PET packaging material can be stored successfully for a period of six months under both the temperature conditions. However, various quality parameters of appetizer were retained higher in glass bottles stored under refrigerated storage conditions

Energy input–output analysis and mechanization status for cultivation of rice and maize crops in Sikkim

Rice and maize are main cereal crops cultivated in Sikkim.  In this paper energy input–output and the level of agricultural mechanization for cultivation of rice and maize in Sikkim state of India has been presented.  The data were collected on area under rice and maize crops, sources of power and agricultural tools/implements used total production through village survey.  It has been observed that the traditional practices of cultivation of rice and maize crops consumed an average energy input of 3338.984 MJ ha-1 and 4386.435 MJ ha-1 respectively.  Data analysis showed that about 60% of the total input energy in the present cultivation practices comes from human and animal power sources.  The output–to–input energy ratio was observed to be 7.66 and 5.86 for rice and maize, respectively.  The observational estimate showed that average productivity of rice and maize crop in the region is only 924.0 kg ha-1 and 431.0 kg ha-1, respectively, which is very low.  Mechanization and machine energy indices were found to stand at a value of 0.3618 and 0.3244, respectively for rice crop cultivation, and 0.2612 and 0.2111, respectively for maize crop cultivation.  The average farm power availability in the state has been estimated as 0.70 kW ha-1.   Keywords: agricultural mechanization in Sikkim, energy input and output, rice and maize crops, grain productivit

Potentiality of Acidithiobacillus Thiooxidans in Microbial Solubilization of Phosphate Mine Tailings

This paper deals with the solubilization behavior of the tailings produced by the floatation of a complex low grade phosphate ore. The composition of the tailings was essentially dolomite (52.04%) with minor amounts of phosphate, iron and aluminium oxides (10.4 and 0.5% respectively). The presence of these products created uncontrolled land pollution and severely affected groundwater. An initiative has been taken up for utilization of this waste to generate an eco-friendly product. First step towards this panorama is incorporation of suitable microorganisms for the biodegradation of this effluent. Sulphur oxidizing bacteria Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans produces sulphuric acid which neutralizes the dolomitic tailings and convert it into plant available forms. The solubilization activity was tested in sulphur medium with 5, 10, 15 and 20% concentration of tailings. The solubilization is graded on the basis of pH, Electrical conductivity (EC), soluble calcium and magnesium and soluble phosphate. The results from ex-situ experiments showed that the treatment with 15% tailings ended with highest solubilization. The values of pH, EC, soluble calcium and magnesium and soluble phosphate for this treatment were 4.92, 31.6 dS/m, 10.8 mL EDTA and 17.24 µg/mL respectively. Also, the results proved that sulphur oxidizing bacteria Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans is capable of solubilizing dolomitic tailings from the Jhamarkotra mines. Finally, an important factor taken into account wassolubilization of residual phosphate along with dolomite in the tailings. This combined action affects the solubilization behaviour of the residue, which was also showed successfully with the assayed laboratory studies