Effects of gamma irradiation on long-storage seeds of Oryza sativa (cv. 2233) and their surface infecting fungal diversity

We have reported an effective ⁶⁰Co gamma irradiation method for the removal and long-time prevention of contaminating fungi of Oryza sativa cv-2233, without the losses of seed viabilities. The fungal growth and their population on gamma treated seeds was found to decrease significantly (p<0.05) with the increasing irradiation dose and storage time. Immediately after irradiation, the depletion of fungal population on rice seed was noticed (>50%) at 2 kGy, whereas total inhibition was noticed at 3 kGy after 1.5 month.     

Structural markers for normal oral mucosa and oral sub-mucous fibrosis

This article presents a quantitative approach for the characterization of normal oral mucosa (NOM) in respect to thickness and textural properties of its entire epithelial layer. Histological images of oral mucosa depict that both thickness and tissue architecture at cellular and tissue level undergo change, as mucosa converts from normal to precancerous or cancerous state. In this study the thickness and fractal dimension of the mucosal epithelium of NOM and oral sub-mucous fibrosis (OSF) condition have been computed using 83 normal and 29 OSF images of oral mucosa. The result shows significant delineation between NOM and OSF in respect of both the epithelial thickness (in μm) and fractal dimensions. This quantitative characterization of oral epithelium will be of immense help for oral onco-pathologists and researchers to assess the biological nature of normal and diseased (OSF) mucosa with higher accuracy. Moreover, further differential applications may enable them to find out newer accurate quantitative diagnostic procedures to that of the usual histopathological gold standard for the assessment of malignant potentiality.     

Validity of the generalized second law of thermodynamics of the universe bounded by the event horizon in brane scenario

In this paper, we examine the validity of the generalized second law of thermodynamics of the universe bounded by the event horizon in brane-world gravity. Here we consider a homogeneous and isotropic model of the universe in the one case where it is filled with a perfect fluid and in another case where a holographic dark energy model of the universe has been considered.     

Use of Dirac matrices in polarization optics

Several matrix methods have been developed for studying polarization properties of light. Jones was the first to apply the matrix method to the study of polarization optics. In Jones matrix formalism the polarized wave field is represented by 2-element column matrix known as Jones Vector and the polarization device encountered by light is represented by a 2×2 matrix, known as the characteristic Jones matrix of the device. Mueller introduced a new matrix method where the wave field is represented by a 4-dimensional vector. The elements of the vector are the Stokes parameters of the beam. In Mueller matrix formalism the optical device is represented by a 4×4 real matrix known as ‘Mueller Matrix’ of the device. The use of coherency matrix also proves to the useful in the study of partially polarized light. Pauli spin matrices have been used to unify the different matrix treatments of polarization optical phenomena. The present article is an attempt to unify the analysis of polarization phenomena using Dirac matrices used by Dirac in quantum mechanics. We have however redefined the set of Dirac matrices in terms of the Kronecher product of Pauli spin matrices.     

Higher Dimensional Cosmology with Normal Scalar Field and Tachyonic Field

We have considered N-dimensional Einstein field equations in which four-dimensional space-time is described by a FRW metric and that of extra dimensions by an Euclidean metric. We have supposed that the higher dimensional anisotropic universe is filled with only normal scalar field or tachyonic field. Here we have found the nature of potential of normal scalar field or tachyonic field. From graphical representations, we have seen that the potential is always decreases with field φ increases.     

Emergent universe in brane world scenario with Schwarzschild–de Sitter bulk

A model of an emergent universe is obtained in brane world. Here the bulk energy is in the form of cosmological constant, while the brane consists of a fluid satisfying an equation of state of the form , which is effectively a radiation equation of state at high energies. It is shown that with the positive bulk cosmological constant, one of our models represents an emergent universe.     

Magnetic ordering in La0.75Sr0.25CrO3: A neutron diffraction study

Low-temperature neutron diffraction measurements were carried out on a powder sample of the compound La_0.75Sr_0.25CrO₃ in order to elucidate its magnetic structure. Rietveld analysis of the neutron diffraction data, as a function of temperature, showed that it possesses a G-type antiferromagnetic alignment of Cr spins at all temperatures below 300 K. Down to the lowest achievable temperature, viz. 17 K, the Cr site moments were found to be the weighted average of the 75% Cr³⁺ and 25% Cr⁴⁺ spin-only ionic moments. At 17 K, the Cr site moment was 2.71(5) μ_B/Cr ion. There is no observable change in the Cr–O bond lengths as a function of temperature. The tilt angles of the CrO₆ octahedra marginally increase with decreasing temperature.     

Towards a generalization of hydrodynamic boundary conditions for flows of fluids with homogeneous internally rotating structures

A generalized boundary condition in the Stokes regime is developed for modeling wall bounded flows of fluids with homogeneous internally rotating structures. The governing equations are solved to obtain a universal scaling behavior of the micro-rotation boundary condition at the walls. These observations are supported by molecular dynamics simulation predictions.     

Low temperature specific heat (zero field and with field) of Fe and Mn-doped MgB2

Polycrystalline samples of MgB₂ superconductor (Mn-doped as well as pristine) were investigated by measurements of the electrical resistivity, magneto-resistance in the temperature range of 4–300 K. All the samples show metallic behaviour. It is observed that the upper critical field slightly decreases with Mn concentration. Specific heat measurements were performed with field as well as without field. For comparison, we also prepared one Fe-doped and specific heat measurements were also carried out on this sample. It is observed that the jump in specific heat decreases with increase in Mn content.