Energy-Scale Dependence of the Lepton-Flavor-Mixing Matrix

We study an energy-scale dependence of the lepton-flavor-mixing matrix in the minimal supersymmetric standard model with the effective dimension-five operators which give the masses of neutrinos. We analyze the renormalization group equations of kappa_{ij}s which are coefficients of these effective operators under the approximation to neglect the corrections of O(\kappa^2). As a consequence, we find that all phases in $\kappa$ do not depend on the energy-scale, and that only n_g-1 (n_g: generation number) real independent parameters in the lepton-flavor-mixing matrix depend on the energy-scale.Comment: 6 pages, no figur

The effect of Majorana phase in degenerate neutrinos

There are physical Majorana phases in the lepton flavor mixing matrix when neutrinos are Majorana fermions. In the case of two degenerate neutrinos, the physical Majorana phase plays the crucial role for the stability of the maximal flavor mixing between the second and the third generations against quantum corrections. The physical Majorana phase of $\pi$ guarantees the maximal mixing to be stable against quantum corrections, while the Majorana phase of zero lets the maximal mixing be spoiled by quantum corrections when neutrino masses are of O(eV). The continuous change of the Majorana phase from $\pi$ to 0 makes the maximal mixing be spoiled by quantum corrections with O(eV) degenerate neutrino masses. On the other hand, when there is the large mass hierarchy between neutrinos, the maximal flavor mixing is not spoiled by quantum corrections independently of the Majorana phase.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figures, LaTe

Interspecific differences in the larval performance of Pieris butterflies (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) are associated with differences in the glucosinolate profiles of host plants

The tremendous diversity of plants and herbivores has arisen from a coevolutionary relationship characterized by plant defense and herbivore counter adaptation. Pierid butterfly species feed on Brassicales plants that produce glucosinolates as a chemical deterrent against herbivory. In turn, the larvae of pierids have nitrile specifier proteins (NSPs) that are expressed in their gut and disarm glucosinolates. Pierid butterflies are known to have diversified in response to glucosinolate diversification in Brassicales. Therefore, each pierid species is expected to have a spectrum of host plants characterized by specific glucosinolate profiles. In this study, we tested whether the larval performance of different Pieris species, a genus in Pieridae (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), was associated with plant defense traits of putative host plants. We conducted feeding assays using larvae of three Pieris species and 10 species of the Brassicaceae family possessing different leaf physical traits and glucosinolate profile measurements. The larvae of Pieris rapae responded differently in the feeding assays compared with the other two Pieris species. This difference was associated with differences in glucosinolate profiles but not with variations in physical traits of the host plants. This result suggests that individual Pieris species are adapted to a subset of glucosinolate profiles within the Brassicaceae. Our results support the idea that the host ranges of Pieris species depend on larval responses to glucosinolate diversification in the host species, supporting the hypothesis of coevolution between butterflies and host plants mediated by the chemical arms race

A Case History of Raft Foundation Behavior for a Large-Scaled Building Complex

This paper describes the field observation of settlement of a raft foundation for a large scale building complex in Nagoya city in Japan. The complex consists of a 28 story hotel, a 15 story office building and a low-storied banquet hall in the middle all of which are supported on a single 80 m square basement on raft foundation. Since the load on the foundation is non-uniform, the differential settlement of the foundation was investigated analytically, taking into consideration the interaction between the ground and the raft. To confirm the validity of the design, measurements were conducted for about 2 years during the building construction. The results of the measurement are discussed below

Newcomers Meet the Intracluster Medium in the Coma Cluster

A main topic at this meeting is how galaxies are affected when they enter for the first time the cluster environment from the outskirts. Most of the times we are forced to infer the environmental effects indirectly, relying on systematic variations of galaxy properties with environment, but there aren't many examples of direct observations able to unveil ongoing transformations taking place, and the corresponding mechanism producing it. We present a case in which it is possible to identify the cluster environment, and in particular the intracluster medium and the recent infall history of galaxies onto the cluster, as the cause for a recent, abrupt change in the evolutionary history of galaxies.Comment: 5 pages, 1 postscript figure -- to appear in "Outskirts of Galaxy Clusters: intense life in the suburbs", IAU Colloquium N. 195, 2004, ed. A Diaferi