Four-Dimensional Planck Scale is Not Universal in Fifth Dimension in Randall-Sundrum Scenario

It has recently been proposed that the hierarchy problem can be solved by considering the warped fifth dimension compactified on $S^{1}/Z_{2}$. Many studies in the context have assumed a particular choice for an integration constant $\sigma_{0}$ that appears when one solves the five-dimensional Einstein equation. Since $\sigma_{0}$ is not determined by the boundary condition of the five-dimensional theory, $\sigma_{0}$ may be regarded as a gauge degree of freedom in a sense. To this time, all indications are that the four-dimensional Planck mass depends on $\sigma_{0}$. In this paper, we carefully investigate the properties of the geometry in the Randall-Sundrum model, and consider in which location $y$ the four-dimensional Planck mass is measured. As a result, we find a $\sigma_{0}$-independent relation between the four-dimensional Planck mass $M_{\rm Pl}$ and five- dimensional fundamental mass scale $M$, and remarkably enough, we can take $M$ to TeV region when we consider models with the Standard Model confined on a distant brane. We also confirm that the physical masses on the distant brane do not depend on $\sigma_{0}$ by considering a bulk scalar field as an illustrative example. The resulting mass scale of the Kaluza-Klein modes is on the order of $M$.Comment: Latex, 12 page

See-Saw Realization of the Texture Zeros in the Neutrino Mass Matrix

We study the see-saw realization of seven textures of the neutrino mass matrix, which were presented by Frampton, Glashow and Marfatia. Two of them B_1 and B_2 are not realized in the see-saw mechanism without fine-tuning of parameters. We present some specific textures of the Dirac neutrino mass matrix and the right-handed Majorana neutrino one. In order to test these textures, we discuss the effect on the branching ratio of mu --> e gamma. We also study the U(1)_X times U(1)_{X'} flavor symmetry, in which U(1)_X is anomalous and U(1)_{X'} is non-anomolous, to reproduce texture zeros. We present examples of U(1) charges for two textures A_1 and A_2$.Comment: Latex file, 15 pages, the sign of charge is revise

Lepton Flavor Violating Process in Bi-maximal texture of Neutrino Mixings

We investigate the lepton flavor violation in the framework of the MSSM with right-handed neutrinos taking the large mixing angle MSW solution in the quasi-degenerate and the inverse-hierarchical neutrino masses. We predict the branching ratio of $\mu \to e+\gamma$ and $\tau \to \mu+\gamma$ processes assuming the degenerate right-handed Majorana neutrino masses. We find that the branching ratio in the quasi-degenerate neutrino mass spectrum is 100 times smaller than the ones in the inverse-hierarchical and the hierarchical neutrino spectra. We emphasize that the magnitude of $U_{e3}$ is one of important ingredients to predict BR($\mu \to e +\gamma$). The effect of the deviation from the complete-degenerate right-handed Majorana neutrino masses are also estimated. Furtheremore, we examine the S_{3\sL}\times S_{3\sR} model, which gives the quasi-degenerate neutrino masses, and the Shafi-Tavartkiladze model, which gives the inverse-hierarchical neutrino masses. Both predicted branching ratios of $\mu\to e+\gamma$ are smaller than the experimantal bound.Comment: Latex file, 38 pages, 10 figures, revised versio

Early diagnosis of aortic calcification through dental X-ray examination for dental pulp stones

Abstract Vascular calcification, an ectopic calcification exacerbated by aging and renal dysfunction, is closely associated with cardiovascular disease. However, early detection indicators are limited. This study focused on dental pulp stones, ectopic calcifications found in oral tissues that are easily identifiable on dental radiographs. Our investigation explored the frequency and timing of these calcifications in different locations and their relationship to aortic calcification. In cadavers, we examined the association between the frequency of dental pulp stones and aortic calcification, revealing a significant association. Notably, dental pulp stones appeared prior to aortic calcification. Using a rat model of hyperphosphatemia, we confirmed that dental pulp stones formed earlier than calcification in the aortic arch. Interestingly, there were very few instances of aortic calcification without dental pulp stones. Additionally, we conducted cell culture experiments with vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and dental pulp cells (DPCs) to explore the regulatory mechanism underlying high phosphate-mediated calcification. We found that DPCs produced calcification deposits more rapidly and exhibited a stronger augmentation of osteoblast differentiation markers compared with SMCs. In conclusion, the observation of dental pulp stones through X-ray examination during dental checkups could be a valuable method for early diagnosis of aortic calcification risk