Uncertainties in nuclear transition matrix elements for neutrinoless ββ\beta \beta decay II: the heavy Majorana neutrino mass mechanism

Employing four different parametrization of the pairing plus multipolar type of effective two-body interaction and three different parametrizations of Jastrow-type of short range correlations, the uncertainties in the nuclear transition matrix elements $M_{N}^{(0\nu)}$ due to the exchange of heavy Majorana neutrino for the $0^{+}\rightarrow 0^{+}$ transition of neutrinoless double beta decay of $^{94}$Zr, $^{96}$Zr, $^{98}$Mo, $^{100}$Mo, $^{104}$Ru, $^{110}$Pd, $^{128,130}$Te and $^{150}$Nd isotopes in the PHFB model are estimated to be around 25%. Excluding the nuclear transition matrix elements calculated with Miller-Spenser parametrization of Jastrow short range correlations, the uncertainties are found to be 10%-15% smaller

NEUROPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF METHANOLIC EXTRACT OF SARGASSUM WIGHTII ON HALOPERIDOL INDUCED CATALEPSY AND TARDIVE DYSKINESIA IN ALBINO RATS

Objective: The present study was designed to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of methanolic extract of Sargassum wightii on haloperidol-induced catalepsy and tardive dyskinesia in Wistar albino rats. Methods: In this study, thirty Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into six groups. Gr-I served as control. Haloperidol (1 mg/kg intraperitoneally) was administered to rats of Gr-II to Gr-V for twenty-one consecutive days to induce catalepsy and tardive dyskinesia. Animals of Gr-II to Gr-V were orally administered with vehicle, levodopa carbidopa combination (30 mg/kg), Sargassum extract 200 and 400 mg/kg respectively. All the drugs and vehicles were given orally one hour before haloperidol injection for twenty one consecutive days. The cataleptic scores were recorded using standard bar test. Tardive dyskinesia was assessed in terms of vacuous chewing movement (VCM) and tongue protrusion (TP) scores. After behavioural testing, all animals were sacrificed on twenty-second day and various biochemical parameters like MDA, SOD and GSH were estimated in brain tissue. Results: Chronic administration of haloperidol significantly increased cataleptic scores, VCM and TP scores. (p<0.001) Sargassum wightii extract (400 mg/kg) significantly inhibited haloperidol-induced catalepsy, VCM and TP (p<0.001) Haloperidol increased MDA and decreased SOD and GSH in brain tissue to a highly significant extent (p<0.001) Sargassum extract at 400 mg/kg also significantly reversed the haloperidol-induced alteration in brain oxidative stress markers. Conclusion: Sargassum wightii inhibits haloperidol-induced catalepsy and tardive dyskinesia. Thus it may be used as a unique therapeutic adjunct for the prevention of neuroleptic-induced extrapyramidal symptoms, however, it has to be explored more

Dynamic and Static Transmission Electron Microscopy Studies on Structural Evaluation of Au nano islands on Si (100) Surface

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) study on morphological changes in gold nanostructures deposited on Si (100) upon annealing under different vacuum conditions has been reported. Au thin films of thickness ~2.0 nm were deposited under high vacuum condition (with the native oxide at the interface of Au and Si) using thermal evaporation. In-situ, high temperature (from room temperature (RT) to 850\degreeC) real time TEM measurements showed the evaluation of gold nanoparticles into rectangular/square shaped gold silicide structures. This has been attributed to selective thermal decomposition of native oxide layer. Ex-situ annealing in low vacuum (10-2 mbar) at 850\degreeC showed no growth of nano-gold silicide structures. Under low vacuum annealing conditions, the creation of oxide could be dominating compared to the decomposition of oxide layers resulting in the formation of barrier layer between Au and Si.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figure

Algoritmos para la detección de aceite de avellana en aceite de oliva

7 pages, 5 figures, 5 tables.[EN] The fraudulent addition of hazelnut oil to olive oil can be only detected in high proportions (20-25%) using the A-stigmastenol and the difference between triacylglycerols of equivalent carbon number 42, determined experimentally by HPLC and calculated theoretically from the fatty acid composition (AECN42). A new method lies on a sequential comparison of the values of several algorithms with a database built with data obtained from genuine virgin olive oils. The algorithms are: LLLexp en función de %L; (LLL/OLLn)exp - (LLL/OLLn)teor, vs AECN44 and (ECN441LLL), vs %L; being: LLLnexpO LLnexpa nd ECN44ew the percentage of triacylglycerols determined by HPLC, LLLth, OLLnthWr and EcN44th,, the percentage of those calculated theoretically from the fatty acid wmposition; AECN44 the difference between the experimental and theoretica~v alue of ECN44; and finally %L the percentage of linoleic acid. The database has been built considering the values obtained from olive oils of diierent fatty acid composition and from admixtures between them. The method allows the detection of low percentages of hazelnut oil in olive oii ( 5%).[ES] La adición fraudulenta de aceite de avellana en aceite de oliva puede ser detectada sólo en altas proporciones (20–25 %), usando el D7-estigmastenol y la diferencia entre los triglicéridos con número de carbono equivalente igual a 42, determinados experimentalmente por HPLC y teóricamente a partir de la composición de ácidos grasos (DECN42). Se propone un nuevo método que consiste en la comparación de los valores de varios algoritmos con una base de datos de valores experimentales obtenidos de aceites de oliva virgen genuinos. Estos algoritmos son: LLLexp en función de %L; (LLL/OLLn)exp - (LLL/OLLn)teor en función de DECN44 y (ECN44/LLL)exp en función de %L; siendo LLLexp, OLLnexp, y ECN44exp los porcentajes de los triglicéridos obtenidos por HPLC; LLLteor , OLLnteor, y ECN44teor los porcentajes de éstos calculados teóricamente a partir de la composición de ácidos grasos; DECN44 la diferencia entre el valor experimental y teórico del ECN44; y finalmente %L el porcentaje de ácido linoleico. La base de datos se ha recopilado considerando los valores obtenidos de aceites de oliva de diferentes composiciones de ácidos grasos y mezclas entre ellos. El método permite la detección de pequeños porcentajes (5 %) de aceites de avellana en aceites de oliva.We thank to Ministry of Agriculture for the financia1 support (INIA CA098-005).Peer reviewe

Growth of Oriented Au Nanostructures: Role of Oxide at the Interface

We report on the formation of oriented gold nano structures on Si(100) substrate by annealing procedures in low vacuum (\approx10-2 mbar) and at high temperature (\approx 975^{\circ} C). Various thicknesses of gold films have been deposited with SiOx (using high vacuum thermal evaporation) and without SiOx (using molecular beam epitaxy) at the interface on Si(100). Electron microscopy measurements were performed to determine the morphology, orientation of the structures and the nature of oxide layer. Interfacial oxide layer, low vacuum and high temperature annealing conditions are found to be necessary to grow oriented gold structures. These gold structures can be transferred by simple scratching method.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, Accepted in J. Appl. Phy

Preliminary study of feasibility of an experiment looking for excited state double beta transitions in tin

An attempt to study the feasibility of a new experiment to search for double beta decay in $^{112}$Sn and $^{124}$Sn was carried out by using ultra-low background HPGe detector (244 cm$^{3}$) inside the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) of the INFN (Italy). A small sample of natural Sn was examined for 2367.5 h. The radioactive contamination of the sample has been estimated. The data has also been considered to calculate the present sensitivity for the proposed search; half-life limits $\sim$ $10^{17} - 10^{18}$ years for $\beta^{+}$EC and EC-EC processes in $^{112}$Sn and $\sim$ $10^{18}$ years for $\beta^{-}\beta^{-}$ transition in $^{124}$Sn were measured. In the last section of the paper the enhancement of the sensitivity for a proposed experiment with larger mass to reach theoretically estimated values of half-lives is discussed.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in NIMA (in press