Checking T and CPT violation with sterile neutrino

Post LSND results, sterile neutrinos have drawn attention and motivated the high energy physics, astronomy and cosmology to probe physics beyond the standard model considering minimal 3+1 (3 active and 1 sterile) to 3+N neutrino schemes. The analytical equations for neutrino conversion probabilities are developed in this work for 3+1 neutrino scheme. Here, we have tried to explore the possible signals of T and CPT violations with four flavor neutrino scheme at neutrino factory. Values of sterile parameters considered in this analysis are taken from two different types of neutrino experiments viz. long baseline experiments and reactor+atmospheric experiments. In this work golden and discovery channels are selected for the investigation of T violation. While observing T violation we stipulate that neutrino factory working at 50 GeV energy have the potential to observe the T violation signatures for the considered range of baselines(3000 km-7500 km). The ability of neutrino factory for constraining CPT violation is enhanced with increase in energy for normal neutrino mass hierarchy(NH). Neutrino factory with the exposure time of 500 kt-yr will be able to capture CPT violation with $\delta c_{31}\geq 3.6\times10^{-23}$ GeV at 3$\sigma$ level for NH and for IH with $\delta c_{31}\geq 4\times10^{-23}$ GeV at 3$\sigma$ level

Elimination of avoidable blindness due to cataract: where do we prioritize and how should we monitor this decade?

BACKGROUND: In the final push toward the elimination of avoidable blindness, cataract occupies a position of eminence for the success of the Right to Sight initiative. AIMS: Review existing situation and assess what monitoring indicators may be useful to chart progress towards attaining the goals of Vision 2020. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Review of published papers from low and middle income countries since 2000. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Published population-based data on prevalence of cataract blindness/visual impairment were accessed and prevalence of cataract blindness/visual impairment computed, where not reported. Data on prevalence of cataract blindness, cataract surgical coverage at different visual acuity cut offs, surgical outcomes, and prevalence of cataract surgery were analyzed. Scatter plots were used to look at relationships of some variables, with Human Development Index (HDI) rank. Available data on Cataract Surgical Rate (CSR) was plotted against prevalence of cataract surgery reported from surveys. RESULTS: Worse HDI Ranks were associated with higher prevalence of cataract blindness. Most studies showed that a significant proportion of the blind were covered by surgery, while a fifth showed that a significant proportion, were operated before they went blind. A good visual outcome after surgery was positively correlated with higher surgical coverage. CSR was positively correlated with cataract surgical coverage. CONCLUSIONS: Cataract surgical coverage is increasing in most countries at vision <3/60 and visual outcomes after cataract surgery are improving. Establishing population-based surveillance of cataract surgical need and performance is a strong monitoring tool and will help program planners immensely

The Defense Response of Glycine Max to its Major Parasitic Nematode Pathogen Heterodera Glycines

Heterodera glycines, soybean cyst nematode (SCN) causes more than one billion dollars soyben production loss in the U.S. annually. SCN is an obligate parasite of specialized feeding cells within the host root known as syncytium. The SCN resistance genes and signaling pathways in soybean have not been fully characterized. Gene expression analysis in syncytium from compatible and incompatible interactions identified candidate genes that might involve conferring resistance to SCN. This dissertation aimed to investigate the biological functions of the candidate resistance genes to confirm the roles of these genes in resistance to SCN. The study demonstrated a role of syntaxin 31-like genes (Gm-SYP38) in resistance to SCN. Overexpression of Gm-SYP38 induced the transcriptional activity of the cytoplasmic receptor-like kinase BOTRYTIS INDUCED KINASE 1 (Gm-BIK1-6). Overexpression of Gm-BIK1-6 rescued the resistant phenotype. In contrast, Gm-BIK1-6 RNAi increased parasitism. In another experiment, the expression of a Glycine max homolog of LESION SIMULATING DISEASE1 (LSD1) resulted in the transcriptional activation of ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY1 (EDS1) and NONEXPRESSOR OF PR1 (NPR1), that function in salicylic acid (SA) signaling, implicating the involvement of the antiapoptotic, environmental response gene LESION SIMULATING DISEASE1 (LSD1) in defense that is demonstrated here. The study also investigated the role of SNARE components (genes functioning in membrane fusion) in resistance to SCN. Experiments showed that SNARE functions in concert with a beta-glucosidase having homology to PEN2 and an ATP binding cassette transporter having homology to PEN3. This study provides novel information for the genetic improvement of soybean for enhanced disease resistance

Along-the-channel modeling and analysis of PEFCs at low stoichiometry: Development of a 1+2D model

Water management remains a key challenge in polymer-electrolyte fuel cells. In this work, a pseudo 3-D (1+2D) model is developed to account better for changes of water management along the channel, as well as verify the possibilities of using differential cells for data capture and translation to integral cell performance. An accurate 2-D membrane-electrode-assembly model is developed for differential cell modeling, which is combined with an along-the-channel stepping algorithm to account for down the channel changes in pressure, temperature, reactant concentration, and relative humidity. Variations in cell performance along the channel due to changes in operating conditions are characterized quantitatively and optimized, where drier feed conditions demonstratively require such an approach. Overall, the study identifies gaps between differential and integral cells including those related to flow velocity and highlights the need for better models to understand and link integral cell performance and water management

A Measure for the Adiabaticity of Quantum Transitions

We construct a measure for the adiabaticity of quantum transitions in an arbitrary basis. Small deviations from nearly completely adiabatic quantum dynamics can be easily quantified through integrals of non-adiabatic couplings between instantaneous eigenstates, as is usually done. In contrast, the situation is more involved in generic quantum dynamics that may be only partially adiabatic and when transitions between non-eigenstates are of interest. Targeting the latter case, we demonstrate with several examples, how the measure is able to distinguish transitions between basis states that occur due to the adiabatic change of a populated energy eigenstate from those that occur due to beating between several such eigenstates.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, comments are welcome

An Algorithm for Generating New Mandelbrot and Julia Sets

The present paper is motivated from the paper of John R. Tippetts (Tippetts 1992) in which he gave an algorithm to generate an interesting Mandelbrot set. We not only generate Julia sets using Tippetts algorithm (Tippetts 1992), but also generate some new Julia and Mandelbrot sets by slightly modifying the Tippetts algorithm. This approach yields a new class of algorithms to produce new and alluring fractals with virtually infinite complexity. Keywords: Mandelbrot set, Julia set, recursion formula, algorith

Further Studies of F-Region at Allahabad

Result of measurement of virtual height of the F-region carried out (mostly at night) during 1937-38 session on several wave frequencies are described. It is found that the nature of the equivalent height change varies in a marked manner from day to day. Sometimes the virtual height shows three maxima during a single night. A good correlation has been found to exist between the hour of occurrence of minimum virtual height of the F-region and the hour at which the barometer at ground level leads maximum pressure. Occasionally echoes from regions above the normal F-layer have been obtained, Occurrence of complex echoes is found to be associated with variation of one or other of the terrestrial magnetic elements. It is seen that contrary to the results obtained by many investigators the F-region exists till about 10 o'clock at nigh

Multiscale Modelling Of The Stress Singularity At A Mode I Crack Tip

Direct modelling technique is used to study stresses at the tip of a mode I crack where domain of the material microstructure is explicitly discretised and represented by finite elements. Two cases of internal (at crack faces) and external uniform loading are considered. A multiscale asymptotic model accounting for both the external boundaries and the non-singular stresses at the crack tip are used to analyse the numerical results. It is shown that the parameters (coefficients) of the expansion of the stress concentration at the crack tip can be recovered for both cases of loading from the simulated stress distribution ahead of the crack tip. Applicability of this technique is validated by recovering the parameters for a wider range of heterogeneous material properties

Application of Molecular Pathology Techniques to Understand Mechanisms of Disease in Smallmouth Bass

In the Chesapeake Bay drainage, smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu are used as an indicator species of estrogenic contaminant exposure and have been implicated in fish kills and disease since 2005. In the Potomac River drainage, adult smallmouth bass have experienced mortality and disease and males have a high prevalence of intersex (testicular oocytes). Conversely, in the Susquehanna River drainage mortalities and disease of young-of-the-year smallmouth bass (YOY SMB) have occurred and resulted in a population shift to older and larger fish. The exact cause of these events remains unknown; however, factors such as poor water quality, contaminants, pathogens and parasites, increased temperatures, and nutrification have been assessed. In order to address this issue, the USGS Fish Health Branch, Leetown Science Center, and West Virginia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit have ongoing assessment and monitoring projects throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The use of routine histopathology has provided guidance for further research with molecular endpoints that may help explain the mechanisms involved in disease in smallmouth bass. The purpose of this dissertation research was to: 1.) Identify the prevalence of coinfections and risk factors of disease in YOY SMB; 2.) Use in situ hybridization to identify coinfections of bacteria with the myxozoan parasite Myxobolus inornatus in YOY smallmouth bass; 3.) Model liver helminths and coinfections of YOY SMB with land use at two spatial scales; 4.) Develop laser capture microdissection methods for nucleic acid extractions which could be used with smallmouth bass tissues; and 5.) Utilize Next-Generation Sequencing to develop a partial testes transcriptome to identify molecular markers that may help explain intersex development in male smallmouth bass