Modified Power law Inflation: solution to the graceful exit problem and improvement of dark energy models

We study power law inflation (PLI) with a monomial potential and find a novel exact solution. It is well known that conventional PLI with exponential potential is inconsistent with the Planck data. Unlike the standard PLI, present model does not suffer from graceful exit problem and it agrees fairly well with recent observations. We have calculated the spectral index and the tensor-to-scalar ratio which are in very good agreement with recent observational data and also comparable with other modified inflationary models. A technique has been used which shows that the large cosmological constant reduces with expansion of the Universe in case of the power law inflation. The coupling of the inflaton with gravitation is the main point in this technique. The basic assumption here is that the two metric tensors in the gravitational and the inflaton parts correspond to different conformal frames which is in contradiction with the conventional power law inflation where the inflaton directly coupled with the background metric tensor. This fact has direct application to different dark energy models and assisted quintessence theory

Skyrme Fluid in Anisotropic Universes with a Cosmological Constant

Cosmological solutions are obtained in an anisotropic Kantowski-Sachs and Bianchi Type-I universes considering a cosmological constant with Skyrme fluid as a matter source. The solutions in both the KS and Bianchi-I universes obtained here are found to differ significantly, specially with some striking difference like Bianchi-I universe admitting only oscillatory solutions for a particular type of matter configuration. Some new and interesting cosmological solutions are obtained due to the Skyrme fluid in the universe. The anisotropy parameter with the evolution of the universe for both the cases are determined and plotted for comparative study.Comment: The analysis is incomplete and vast change is being done which will reflect major modifications in our obtained result

Knowledge and Attitude regarding Honour Killing of People coming to a Tertiary Care Hospital in India

Introduction: “Honor killing” is an extreme and brutal abuse of human rights, violating the most basic of human rights-the right to life-as well as every other article in the International Convention on Human Rights (1948). The practice of honor killing “goes across cultures and across religions.”Objective: The present study attempts to assess knowledge and attitude of people regarding honor killing.Materials and Methods: After conducting focused group discussions (FDGs) on honor killings with the participants, researchers reached consensus about the core themes emerging from FDGs and formed a questionnaire to assess the knowledge and attitude of people about the practice of honor killing.Results and Conclusions: Most of the participants were aware of honor killing and opposed this practice. Their ideas about “honor” and “dishonor” were reflective of observations in existing literature. Based on the key points, a 16-item Hindi questionnaire was formed which awaits validation

Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans of Male Breast: An Unusual Presentation

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare tumor which usually presents during early or middle adult life, as erythematous indurated firm subcutaneous nodules. DFSP involving the breast is a rare phenomenon and even rarer in males. We describe a case of a male patient who presented with this tumor in his left breast

Nasal glioma with psammomatous calcification- An unusual presentation

Congenital midline swellings of nose are encountered rarely, and nasal gliomas constitute about 5% of such lesions. Various theories have been suggested to explain the pathogenesis. Imaging preferably by MRI is mandated to study the extent and to rule out intracranial extension. Clinically, these masses are firm and incompressible. Histologically, they are made up of astrocytes and neuroglial cells, embedded in fibrous and vascular connective tissue. The mainstay of treatment is conservative surgical excision because nasal gliomas are slow-growing, rarely recurrent, and have no malignant potential. We present a case of congenital extranasal glioma with psammomatous calcification and without any intracranial extension in an eighteen month old boy.--------------------------------------------Cite this article as: Sherwani RK, Akhtar K, Ray PS, Ahmad SS. Nasal glioma with psammomatous calcification- An unusual presentation. Int J  Cancer Ther Oncol 2014; 2(2):02027. DOI: 10.14319/ijcto.0202.

Identification of the Abundant Hydroxyproline-Rich Glycoproteins in the Root Walls of Wild-Type Arabidopsis, an ext3 Mutant Line, and Its Phenotypic Revertant

Extensins are members of the cell wall hydroxyproline-rich glycoprotein (HRGP) superfamily that form covalently cross-linked networks in primary cell walls. A knockout mutation in EXT3 (AT1G21310), the gene coding EXTENSIN 3 (EXT3) in Arabidopsis Landsberg erecta resulted in a lethal phenotype, although about 20% of the knockout plants have an apparently normal phenotype (ANP). In this study the root cell wall HRGP components of wild-type, ANP and the ext3 mutant seedlings were characterized by peptide fractionation of trypsin digested anhydrous hydrogen fluoride deglycosylated wall residues and by sequencing using LC-MS/MS. Several HRGPs, including EXT3, were identified in the wild-type root walls but not in walls of the ANP and lethal mutant. Indeed the ANP walls and walls of mutants displaying the lethal phenotype possessed HRGPs, but the profiles suggest that changes in the amount and perhaps type may account for the corresponding phenotypes

Impact of conservation agriculture on humic acid quality and clay humus complexation under maize (Zea mays)-wheat (Triticum aestivum) and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan)-wheat cropping systems

An attempt was made to study the humic acid (HA) quality and clay humus complex in order to generate valuable information regarding soil carbon (C) and recalcitrant carbon variations under conservation agriculture (CA) practices. It is worthwhile to mention that CA has got wider acceptance among researchers and farmers nowadays. A field experiment was conducted in an Inceptisol with three treatments, namely conventional tillage (CT), zero tillage (ZT) without residue and zero tillage with residue (ZT+R) in a maize (Zea mays L.)-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (M-W) and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.)-wheat (P-W) cropping system at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, with a view to characterize the HA by E4/E6 ratio and total acidity, and to specify the functional groups of clay humus complex. In ZT+R based treatments, lower E4/E6 ratio and total acidity of extracted HA showed higher degree of humification and stability of humic acid carbon (HA-C). The FTIR spectroscopy of the clay-humus complex (as extracted from soil) displayed the presence of a large number of functional groups in ZT+R treatment followed by ZT and CT. It was also observed that the yield of crops was also significantly higher in ZT+R than CT in both the cropping systems except in wheat crops in the M-W system. Therefore, it can be concluded that ZT+R has the potential to enrich the organic carbon (C) quality in soil and increase the aromaticity of HA, leading to carbon stabilization in soils

Solid phase speciation of Zn and Cd in zinc smelter effluent-irrigated soils

Solubility of metal in contaminated soils is a key factor which controls the phytoavailability and toxic effects of metals on soil environment. The chemical equilibria of metal ions between soil solution and solid phases govern the solubility of metals in soil. Hence, an attempt was made to identify the probable solid phases (minerals), which govern the solubility of Zn2+ and Cd2+ in zinc smelter effluent-irrigated soils. Estimation of free ion activities of Zn2+ (pZn2+) and Cd2+ (pCd2+) by Baker soil test indicated that metal ion activities were higher in smelter effluent-irrigated soils as compared to that in tubewell water-irrigated soils. Identification of solid phases further reveals that free ion activity of Zn2+ and Cd2+ in soil highly contaminated with Zn and Cd due to long-term irrigation with zinc smelter effluent is limited by the solubility of willemite (Zn2SiO4) in equilibrium with quartz and octavite (CdCO3), respectively. However, in case of tubewell water-irrigated soil, franklinite (ZnFe2O4) in equilibrium with soil-Fe and exchangeable Cd are likely to govern the activity of Zn2+ and Cd2+ in soil solution, respectively. Formation of highly soluble minerals namely, willemite and octavite indicates the potential ecological risk of Zn and Cd, respectively in smelter effluent irrigated soil