Status of India-based neutrino observatory project

We discuss the current status of the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) proposal to setup an underground laboratory in India and to construct a 50 kton magnetized iron calorimeter (ICAL) detector for observing atmospheric neutrino interactions. We give a brief description of the detector and discuss its physics motivations. The charge identification capability of ICAL would make it complementary to large water Cerenkov and other detectors world wide. The status of the design of the magnet, the construction of the prototype detector and the development of glass resistive plate chambers (RPC) are presented

Design, development and performance study of six-gap glass MRPC detectors

The Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers (MRPCs) are gas ionization detectors with multiple gas sub-gaps made of resistive electrodes. The high voltage (HV) is applied on the outer surfaces of outermost resistive plates only, while the interior plates are left electrically floating. The presence of multiple narrow sub--gaps with high electric field results in faster signals on the outer electrodes, thus improving the detector's time resolution. Due to their excellent performance and relatively low cost, the MRPC detector has found potential application in Time-of-Flight (TOF) systems. Here we present the design, fabrication, optimization of the operating parameters such as the HV, the gas mixture composition, and, performance of six--gap glass MRPC detectors of area 27cm $\times$ 27 cm, which are developed in order to find application as trigger detectors, in TOF measurement etc. The design has been optimized with unique spacers and blockers to ensure a proper gas flow through the narrow sub-gaps, which are 250 $\mu$m wide. The gas mixture consisting of R134A, Isobutane and SF$_{6}$, and the fraction of each constituting gases has been optimized after studying the MRPC performance for a set of different concentrations. The counting efficiency of the MRPC is about 95% at $17.9$ kV. At the same operating voltage, the time resolution, after correcting for the walk effect, is found to be about $219$ ps.Comment: Revised version with 15 pages, 14 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in the European Physical Journal

Nuclear effects in Neutrino Nuclear Cross-sections

Nuclear effects in the quasielastic and inelastic scattering of neutrinos(antineutrinos) from nuclear targets have been studied. The calculations are done in the local density approximation which take into account the effect of nucleon motion as well as renormalisation of weak transition strengths in the nuclear medium. The inelastic reaction leading to production of pions is calculated in a $\Delta$ dominance model taking into account the renormalization of $\Delta$ properties in the nuclear medium.Comment: 4 pages,3 figures, Ninth International Workshop on Neutrino Factories, Superbeams and Betabeams (NuFact07), August 6-11, 2007, Okayama University, Okayama, Japa

Optimisation using central composite design (CCD) and the desirability function for sorption of methylene blue from aqueous solution onto Lemna major

AbstractWater pollution due to contamination of dye containing effluents is a great threat to water body. A study on the biosorption of methylene blue (MB) onto low-cost Lemna major biomass was conducted and the process parameters were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). A two-level, four-factor central composite design (CCD) has been employed to determine the effect of various process parameters namely initial concentration (600–1000 mg L−1), bioadsorbent dose (0.20–1.50 g/100 mL), pH (5–12) and stirring rate (250–800 rpm) on MB uptake from aqueous solution. By using this design a total of 30 biosorption experimental data were fitted. The regression analysis showed good fit of the experimental data to the second-order polynomial model with coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.9978 and model F-value of 953.48. The optimum conditions of initial concentration (1000 mg L−1), adsorbent dose (0.2 g), pH (5) and stirring rate (251.51 rpm) were recorded from desirability function. The adsorption isotherm data were best described by both Freundlich and Langmuir models with a maximum adsorption capacity of 488 mg MB g−1 L. major biomass at 30 °C which is higher than that available with adsorbents used by past researchers. Finally the pseudo second order kinetic model described the MB biosorption process with a good fitting (R2 = 0.999). The adsorbent was characterised by scanning electron micrograph (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)

A hospital-based study of severe anemia in adults in Eastern India

Background: Anemia remains a crucial health problem in developing countries. Cardiac compromise and fatal complications usually occur at Hb of <5g/dL. The aim of the study was to determine possible etiologic and clinical profile in adult patients with very severe anemia (Hb of <5g/dL).Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in a teaching hospital of Odisha over a period of 12months. A total of 70 patients of both men and non-pregnant women admitted to the medicine wards were included after exclusion. Detailed history, clinical examination and investigation findings were recorded. Independent ‘t’ test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, Pearson chi-square test and Fisher exact test were used as applicable, to compare the variables.Results: The mean Hb (g/dL) was 3.73 ±0.85 and the mean age of the study group was 53.34±17.75years. No significant difference was observed in the severity of anemia between the female (mean Hb of 3.56±0.93) and male patients (mean Hb of 3.87±0.77) (p=0.130). The most frequent etiology found was absolute iron deficiency (44.3%, n=31) and mostly (41.9%) found in the age group of ≥65years (p<0.001). Congestive cardiac failure was found in 20% (n=14) of patients and majority of patients (64.2%, n=9) were males (p<0.001).Conclusions: Iron deficiency is the principal cause of very severe anemia in adults rather than malignancy or anemia of chronic disease and only about one fourth of patients develop heart failure even with very severe anemia

Extracellular matrix signatures of human primary metastatic colon cancers and their metastases to liver

Background: Colorectal cancer is the third most frequently diagnosed cancer and the third cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Despite the fact that tumor cell-intrinsic mechanisms controlling colorectal carcinogenesis have been identified, novel prognostic and diagnostic tools as well as novel therapeutic strategies are still needed to monitor and target colon cancer progression. We and others have previously shown, using mouse models, that the extracellular matrix (ECM), a major component of the tumor microenvironment, is an important contributor to tumor progression. In order to identify candidate biomarkers, we sought to define ECM signatures of metastatic colorectal cancers and their metastases to the liver. Methods: We have used enrichment of extracellular matrix (ECM) from human patient samples and proteomics to define the ECM composition of primary colon carcinomas and their metastases to liver in comparison with normal colon and liver samples. Results: We show that robust signatures of ECM proteins characteristic of each tissue, normal and malignant, can be defined using relatively small samples from small numbers of patients. Comparisons with gene expression data from larger cohorts of patients confirm the association of subsets of the proteins identified by proteomic analysis with tumor progression and metastasis. Conclusions: The ECM protein signatures of metastatic primary colon carcinomas and metastases to liver defined in this study, offer promise for development of diagnostic and prognostic signatures of metastatic potential of colon tumors. The ECM proteins defined here represent candidate serological or tissue biomarkers and potential targets for imaging of occult metastases and residual or recurrent tumors and conceivably for therapies. Furthermore, the methods described here can be applied to other tumor types and can be used to investigate other questions such as the role of ECM in resistance to therapy

Ezrin phosphorylation on tyrosine 477 regulates invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells

Background The membrane cytoskeletal crosslinker, ezrin, a member of the ERM family of proteins, is frequently over-expressed in human breast cancers, and is required for motility and invasion of epithelial cells. Our group previously showed that ezrin acts co-operatively with the non-receptor tyrosine kinase, Src, in deregulation of cell-cell contacts and scattering of epithelial cells. In particular, ezrin phosphorylation on Y477 by Src is specific to ezrin within the ERM family, and is required for HGF-induced scattering of epithelial cells. We therefore sought to examine the role of Y477 phosphorylation in ezrin on tumor progression. Methods Using a highly metastatic mouse mammary carcinoma cell line (AC2M2), we tested the effect of over-expressing a non-phosphorylatable form of ezrin (Y477F) on invasive colony growth in 3-dimensional Matrigel cultures, and on local invasion and metastasis in an orthotopic engraftment model. Results AC2M2 cells over-expressing Y477F ezrin exhibited delayed migration in vitro, and cohesive round colonies in 3-dimensional Matrigel cultures, compared to control cells that formed invasive colonies with branching chains of cells and numerous actin-rich protrusions. Moreover, over-expression of Y477F ezrin inhibits local tumor invasion in vivo. Whereas orthotopically injected wild type AC2M2 tumor cells were found to infiltrate into the abdominal wall and visceral organs within three weeks, tumors expressing Y477F ezrin remained circumscribed, with little invasion into the surrounding stroma and abdominal wall. Additionally, Y477F ezrin reduces the number of lung metastatic lesions. Conclusions Our study implicates a role of Y477 ezrin, which is phosphorylated by Src, in regulating local invasion and metastasis of breast carcinoma cells, and provides a clinically relevant model for assessing the Src/ezrin pathway as a potential prognostic/predictive marker or treatment target for invasive human breast cancer.Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance (BEE, 017374)Canadian Institutes of Health Research (BEE, 102644)Physicians Society Inc.Association pour le développement de la recherche sur le cancer (France