Rapid cooling of magnetized neutron stars

The neutrino emissivities resulting from direct URCA processes in neutron stars are calculated in a relativistic Dirac-Hartree approach in presence of a magnetic field. In a quark or a hyperon matter environment, the emissivity due to nucleon direct URCA processes is suppressed relative to that from pure nuclear matter. In all the cases studied, the magnetic field enhances emissivity compared to the field-free cases.Comment: 9 pages; Revtex; figure include

Is SAX J1808.4-3658 a Strange Star ?

One of the most important questions in the study of compact objects is the nature of pulsars, including whether they are composed of $\beta$-stable nuclear matter or strange quark matter. Observations of the newly discovered millisecond X-ray pulsar \sax with the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer place firm constraint on the radius of the compact star. Comparing the mass - radius relation of \sax with the theoretical mass - radius relation for neutron stars and for strange stars, we find that a strange star model is more consistent with SAX J1808.4-3658, and suggest that it is a likely strange star candidate.Comment: 5 pages, Latex, 1 figure, corrected for some typo

Essential oils as valuable feed additive: A narrative review of the state of knowledge about their beneficial health applications and enhancement of production performances in poultry

New research has begun to develop safe and effective alternatives to feed-antibiotics as growth enhancers in response to mounting pressure on the poultry sector to do so. There is a significant demand for poultry products all across the world right now. To achieve this goal, key performance indicators are optimized, such as the rate of chicken growth, the amount of feed used, and the health of the flock as a whole. As a result of this growing need, various alternatives to antibiotics have entered the market. New approaches are desperately needed to keep poultry productivity and efficiency at a high level in the face of mounting pressure to limit the use of antibiotics. Recent years have seen an uptick in interest in the potential of aromatic plant extracts as growth and health boosters in poultry. The great majority of plants' positive effects are accounted for by essential oils (EOs) and other secondary metabolites. EOs have been proven to promote digestive secretion production, improve blood circulation, exert antioxidant qualities, reduce levels of dangerous microbes, and maybe improve the immune status of poultry. EOs are often believed to be safe, non-toxic alternatives because they are all-natural, chemical-free, and devoid of potentially harmful deposits. EOs are extracted from plants, and while there are thousands of them, only approximately 300 have been deemed to have significant commercial value. Many different types of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites are negatively affected by EOs in multiple studies conducted both in vitro and in vivo. The review covers the fundamentals of EOs, their anti-oxidant and immunomodulatory capabilities, their growth-promoting benefits, and their effectiveness against numerous diseases in poultry

Effects of color superconductivity on the structure and formation of compact stars

We show that if color superconducting quark matter forms in hybrid or quark stars it is possible to satisfy most of recent observational boundaries on masses and radii of compact stellar objects. An energy of the order of $10^{53}$ erg is released in the conversion from a (metastable) hadronic star into a (stable) hybrid or quark star in presence of a color superconducting phase. If the conversion occurs immediately after the deleptonization of the proto-neutron star, the released energy can help Supernovae to explode. If the conversion is delayed the energy released can power a Gamma Ray Burst. A delay between the Supernova and the subsequent Gamma Ray Burst is possible, in agreement with the delay proposed in recent analysis of astrophysical data.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. To be published in Phys.Rev.

Prospective nutritional, therapeutic, and dietary benefits of camel milk making it a viable option for human consumption: Current state of scientific knowledge

For over five thousand years, people in Asia and Africa have known about the health benefits of camel milk. Thus, it is used not only as a food source but also as a medicine. The similarities between camel milk and human milk have been scientifically proven. Camel milk is unique among ruminant milk because it is high in vitamins C and E and low in sugar and cholesterol. Still, it contains a wide variety of beneficial minerals (including sodium, potassium, iron, copper, zinc, and magnesium), besides being rich in several nutrients, including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, serum albumin, lactoferrin, immunoglobulins, lysozyme and the hormone insulin. Because of these components, many medical professionals now recommend camel milk as a treatment for various human ailments. It has been demonstrated to be effective in treating gastrointestinal issues, Type 1 diabetes, and food allergies. As a bonus, camel milk has been utilized to cure autism, lower cholesterol, prevent psoriasis, heal inflammation, aid tuberculosis patients, boost the body's natural defences, and impede the spread of cancer cells. Those who have problems digesting lactose may still be able to tolerate it. Conversely, camel milk can also help reduce an excessively high bilirubin, globulin, and granulocyte count. Drinking camel milk does not affect the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, hemoglobin concentration, and leukocyte count. The proteins in camel milk have an adequate ratio of critical amino acids. Immunoglobulins, which fight disease, are contained inside, and their small size allows antigens to penetrate and boosts the immune system's efficacy. This article highlights the health benefits and medicinal uses of camel milk

The effect of loading direction and Sn alloying on the deformation modes of Zr: An in-situ neutron diffraction study

Deformation modes (slip and twining) in a strongly textured model hcp alloy system (Zr–Sn) have been investigated using in-situ neutron diffraction and deformation along with complementary electron microscopy. Analysis of the evolution of the intergranular strain evolutions and intensity of specific reflections from neutron diffraction show differential influence of Sn on the extent of twinning too, depending on the deformation direction. While Sn displayed very noticeable influence on twin activity when samples were compressed along a direction that predominantly activates prismatic slip, this effect was not seen when samples were compressed along other different directions. These experimental observations were successfully simulated using a CPFE (crystal plasticity finite element) model that incorporates composition sensitive CRSS (critical resolved shear stress) for slip and composition insensitive CRSS activation of twinning. The success of the CPFE model in capturing the experimental observations with respect to twin evolution suggests that the twinning in Zr is chiefly governed by the initial crystallographic texture and the associated intergranular stress state generated during plastic deformation

Plant-Based Antioxidant Extracts and Compounds in the Management of Oral Cancer

Oral cancer continues to be a leading cause of death worldwide, and its prevalence is particularly high in developing countries, where people chew tobacco and betel nut on a regular basis. Radiation-, chemo-, targeted-, immuno-, and hormone-based therapies along with surgery are commonly used as part of a treatment plan. However, these treatments frequently result in various unwanted short- to long-term side effects. As a result, there is an urgent need to develop treatment options for oral cancer that have little or no adverse effects. Numerous bioactive compounds derived from various plants have recently attracted attention as therapeutic options for cancer treatment. Antioxidants found in medicinal plants, such as vitamins E, C, and A, reduce damage to the mucosa by neutralizing free radicals found in various oral mucosal lesions. Phytochemicals found in medicinal plants have the potential to modulate cellular signalling pathways that alter the cellular defence mechanisms to protect normal cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induce apoptosis in cancer cells. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of various medicinal plants and phytoconstituents that have shown the potential to be used as oral cancer therapeutics

Small, Dense Quark Stars from Perturbative QCD

As a model for nonideal behavior in the equation of state of QCD at high density, we consider cold quark matter in perturbation theory. To second order in the strong coupling constant, $\alpha_s$, the results depend sensitively on the choice of the renormalization mass scale. Certain choices of this scale correspond to a strongly first order chiral transition, and generate quark stars with maximum masses and radii approximately half that of ordinary neutron stars. At the center of these stars, quarks are essentially massless.Comment: ReVTeX, 5 pages, 3 figure

Hypothermia for encephalopathy in low and middle-income countries (HELIX): Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic hypothermia reduces death and disability after moderate or severe neonatal encephalopathy in high-income countries and is used as standard therapy in these settings. However, the safety and efficacy of cooling therapy in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where 99% of the disease burden occurs, remains unclear. We will examine whether whole body cooling reduces death or neurodisability at 18-22 months after neonatal encephalopathy, in LMICs. METHODS: We will randomly allocate 408 term or near-term babies (aged ≤ 6 h) with moderate or severe neonatal encephalopathy admitted to public sector neonatal units in LMIC countries (India, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka), to either usual care alone or whole-body cooling with usual care. Babies allocated to the cooling arm will have core body temperature maintained at 33.5 °C using a servo-controlled cooling device for 72 h, followed by re-warming at 0.5 °C per hour. All babies will have detailed infection screening at the time of recruitment and 3 Telsa cerebral magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy at 1-2 weeks after birth. Our primary endpoint is death or moderate or severe disability at the age of 18 months. DISCUSSION: Upon completion, HELIX will be the largest cooling trial in neonatal encephalopathy and will provide a definitive answer regarding the safety and efficacy of cooling therapy for neonatal encephalopathy in LMICs. The trial will also provide important data about the influence of co-existent perinatal infection on the efficacy of hypothermic neuroprotection. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02387385. Registered on 27 February 2015