Neutrino Mixing Predictions of a Minimal SO(10) Model with Suppressed Proton Decay

During the past year, a minimal renormalizable supersymmetric SO(10) model has been proposed with the following properties: it predicts a naturally stable dark matter and neutrino mixing angles theta_atm and theta_13 while at the same time accommodating CKM CP violation among quarks with no SUSY CP problem. Suppression of proton decay for all allowed values of tan beta strongly restricts the flavor structure of the model making it predictive for other processes as well. We discuss the following predictions of the model in this paper, e.g. down-type quark masses, and neutrino oscillation parameters, U_e3, delta_MNSP, which will be tested by long baseline experiments such as T2K and subsequent experiments using the neutrino beam from JPARC. We also calculate lepton flavor violation and the lepton asymmetry of the Universe in this model.Comment: 22 pages, 11 figure

Extragalactic and galactic gamma-rays and neutrinos from annihilating dark matter

We describe cosmic gamma-ray and neutrino signals of dark matter annihilation, explaining how the complementarity of these signals provides additional information that, if observable, can enlighten the particle nature of dark matter. This is discussed in the context of exploiting the separate galactic and extragalactic components of the signal, using the spherical halo model distribution of dark matter. We motivate the discussion with supersymmetric extensions of the standard model of particle physics. We consider the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) where both neutrinos and gamma-rays are produced from annihilations. We also consider a gauged B-L, baryon number minus lepton number, extension of the MSSM, where annihilation can be purely to heavy right-handed neutrinos. We compare the galactic and extragalactic components of these signals, and conclude that it is not yet clear which may dominate when looking out of the galactic plane. To answer this question, we must have an understanding of the contribution of halo substructure to the annihilation signals. We find that different theories with indistinguishable gamma-ray signals can be distinguished in the neutrino signal. Gamma-ray annihilation signals are difficult to observe from the galactic center, due to abundant astrophysical sources; but annihilation neutrinos from there would not be so hidden, if they can be observed over the atmospheric neutrinos produced by cosmic rays.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figure

Where constructionism and critical realism converge: interrogating the domain of epistemological relativism

The paper interrogates the status, nature and significance of epistemological relativism as a key element of constructionism and critical realism. It finds that epistemological relativism is espoused by authorities in critical realism and marginalized or displaced in the field of management and organization studies, resulting in forms of analysis that are empirically, but not fully critically, realist. This evaluation prompts reflection on the question of whether, how and with what implications epistemological relativism might be recast at the heart of critical realist studies of management and organization

Treatment of pharmaceutically active compounds by electrooxidation using boron doped diamond and platinum anodes

Clean and hygiene water is a critical environmental issue that touches the life of every human being. In recent years, presence of some pharmaceutical compounds and their metabolites in surface and ground water has become a potential health risk to human beings. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are prescribed for muscle pain and inflammatory rheumatic disorders. Ketoprofen one of the NSAIOs, is categorized as a pharmaceutically active compound which resists both the abiotic and biotic degradation. Similarly, P-blockers are a class of drugs used for various indications particularly to control high blood pressure, anti-angina and cardiovascular diseases. One among the P-blockers, atenolol is most toxic to humans and aquatic organisms. The presence of both ketoprofen and atenolol in ground water has been reported at concentrations up to 10 figlL. A bench scale study was carried out to treat synthetically prepared pharmaceutical compounds (ketoprofen and atenolol) contaminated water in lower concentrations (fig/I) using boron doped diamond (BOD) and platinum anodes. The results were explained in terms of in situ generated of hydroxyl radical COH), peroxodisulfate (S20t), and active chlorine species (CI2, ocr and HOCI). The physisorbed 'OH on BOD was observed to trigger the combustion of pollutant molecules in to CO2 and H20. The BOD anode was found to be effective in the presence ofNa2S04 whereas Pt yields better removal in the presence of NaCI. The influence of electrolyte pH on the mineralization of ketoprofen molecules was found to be insignificant

Isothermal fatigue mechanisms in Ti-based metal matrix composites

Stress-controlled isothermal fatigue experiments were performed at room temperature (RT) and 548 C (in argon) on (0)8 SCS6/Ti 15-3 metal matrix composites (MMC's) with 15 and 41 volume percent SCS6 (SiC) fibers. The primary objectives were to evaluate the mechanical responses, and to obtain a clear understanding of the damage mechanisms leading to failure of the MMC's. The mechanical data indicated that strain ranges attained fairly constant values in the stress-controlled experiments at both RT and 538 C, and remained so for more than 85 percent of life. The fatigue data for MMC's with different volume fraction fibers showed that MMC life was controlled by the imposed strain range rather than the stress range. At RT, and at low and intermediate strain ranges, the dominant fatigue mechanism was matrix fatigue, and this was confirmed metallurgically from fractographic evidence as well as from observations of channel type dislocation structures in the matrix of fatigued MMC specimens. Reaction-zone cracks acted as important crack initiating sites at RT, with their role being to facilitate slip band formation and consequent matrix crack initiation through classical fatigue mechanisms. MMC life agreed with matrix life at the lower strain ranges, but was smaller than matrix life at higher strain ranges. Unlike the case of monotonic deformation, debonding damage was another major damage mechanism during fatigue at RT, and it increased for higher strain ranges. At high strain ranges at RT, fractography and metallography showed an absence of matrix cracks, but long lengths of debonds in the outer layers of the SCS6 fibers. Such debonding and consequent rubbing during fatigue is believed to have caused fiber damage and their failure at high strain ranges. Thus, whereas life was matrix dominated at low and intermediate strain ranges, it was fiber dominated at high strain ranges. At 538 C, the mean stain constantly increased (ratchetting) with the number of cycles. At high strain ranges, such ratchetting led to overload failure of the fibers, and debonding of the type at RT was very small. At intermediate strain ranges, fractography showed large areas of matrix cracks. However, in spite of this matrix dominated mechanism, the MMC life at elevated temperatures was significantly less than the matrix fatigue life at all strain ranges. The reason for this difference is still unclear, although metallographic and fractographic evidences suggest that internal crack initiation sites at Mo-ribbons and reaction-zone cracks may have played a critical role, with the former tending to dominate

Role of electrolyte on anodic mineralization of atenolol at boron doped diamond and Pt electrodes

Anodic oxidation of atenolol, known as -blocker, has been investigated using boron-doped diamond(BDD) and Pt electrodes. The mineralization trend of atenolol in the presence of NaCl, Na2SO4 and NaNO3 was followed using total organic carbon analyzer. The disappearance of chloride ions and generation of active chlorine (Cl2, HOCl, OCl−) were analysed by argentometric and iodometric methods, respectively. The BDD anode was found to be effective in the presence of Na2SO4 whereas Pt yields better removal in the presence of NaCl. The initial concentration of NaCl and applied current density on the mineralization of atenolol were found to be significant for both BDD and Pt anodes. These results are explained in terms of electrogenerated oxidants such as •OH, SO4•−, S2O8 2−, Cl2, HOCl and OCl−. The evolution of chlorine at BDD and Pt with respect to NaCl concentration was studied by means of cyclic voltammetric technique. Though the rate of mineralization was observed to be initially higher in the presence of Pt anode, the overall rate of mineralization is more or less similar beyond 15 h of electrooxidation. The slow degradation at the later stages of electrooxidation was attributed to the presence of residual chlorinated organic compounds which are very refractive. The complete mineralization was achieved in the presenceof Na2SO4 using BDD as anode

Anodic oxidation of ketofrofen-an anti-inflammatory drug using boron doped diamond electrode

The mineralization of ketoprofen (KP) by anodic oxidation was studied by employing boron doped diamond (BDD) and Pt electrodes. The redox behavior of KP molecule, fouling of electrodes, generation of oxygen and active chlorine species were studied by cyclic voltammetry. The effect of electrolyte, pH of aqueous medium and applied current density on the mineralization behavior of KP was also investigated. The degradation and mineralization were monitored by UV–vis spectrophotometer and total organic carbon analyzer, respectively. The results were explained in terms of in situ generation of hydroxyl radical (•OH), peroxodisulfate (S2O8 2−), and active chlorine species (Cl2, HOCl, OCl−). The physisorbed •OH on BDD was observed to trigger the combustion of KP in to CO2 and H2O. The poor mineralization at both BDDand Pt anodes in the presence of NaCl as supporting electrolyte was ascribed to the formation of chlorinated organic compounds which are refractory. Complete mineralization of KP molecule was achieved using Na2SO4 as supporting electrolyte

Inelastic deformation mechanisms in SCS-6/Ti 15-3 MMC lamina under compression

An investigation was undertaken to study the inelastic deformation mechanisms in (0)(sub 8) and (90)(sub 8) Ti 15-3/SCS-6 lamina subjected to pure compression. Monotonic tests were conducted at room temperature (RT), 538 C and 650 C. Results indicate that mechanical response and deformation characteristics were different in monotonic tension and compression loading whereas some of those differences could be attributed to residual stress effects. There were other differences because of changes in damage and failure modes. The inelastic deformation in the (0)(sub 8) lamina under compression was controlled primarily by matrix plasticity, although some evidence of fiber-matrix debonding was observed. Failure of the specimen in compression was due to fiber buckling in a macroscopic shear zone (the failure plane). The inelastic deformation mechanisms under compression in (90)(sub 8) lamina were controlled by radial fiber fracture, matrix plasticity, and fiber-matrix debonding. The radial fiber fracture was a new damage mode observed for MMC's. Constitutive response was predicted for both the (0)(sub 8) and (90)(sub 8) laminae, using AGLPLY, METCAN, and Battelle's Unit Cell FEA model. Results from the analyses were encouraging

In-phase thermomechanical fatigue mechanisms in an unidirectional SCS-6/Ti 15-3 MMC

The objective of this investigation was to identify the inelastic deformation and damage mechanisms under in-phase (IP) thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) in a unidirectional SCS-6/Ti 15-3 metal matrix composite (MMC). Load-controlled IP TMF tests were conducted at 300-538 C at various stress ranges in high-purity argon. A major emphasis of this work was to identify damage mechanism well before final fracture of specimens, rather than to generate life diagrams, to aid development of a realistic deformation/damage and life model