Higgs Sector of the Left-Right Model with Explicit CP Violation

We explore the Higgs sector of the Minimal Left-Right (LR) Model based on the gauge group SU(2)_L x SU(2)_R x U(1)_{B-L} with explicit CP violation in the Higgs potential. Since flavour-changing neutral current experiments and the small scale of neutrino masses both place stringent constraints on the Higgs potential, we seek to determine whether minima of the Higgs potential exist that are consistent with current experimental bounds. We focus on the case in which the right-handed symmetry-breaking scale is only ``moderately'' large, of order 15-50 TeV. Unlike the case in which the Higgs potential is CP-invariant, the CP noninvariant case does yield viable scenarios, although these require a small amount of fine-tuning. We consider a LR model supplemented by an additional U(1) horizontal symmetry, which results in a Higgs sector consistent with current experimental constraints and a realistic spectrum of neutrino masses.Comment: 20 pages, 2 figure

Neutrinos in a left-right model with a horizontal symmetry

We analyze the lepton sector of a Left-Right Model based on the gauge group SU(2)_L x SU(2)_R x U(1), concentrating mainly on neutrino properties. Using the seesaw mechanism and a horizontal symmetry, we keep the right-handed symmetry breaking scale relatively low, while simultaneously satisfying phenomenological constraints on the light neutrino masses. We take the right-handed scale to be of order 10's of TeV and perform a full numerical analysis of the model's parameter space, subject to experimental constraints on neutrino masses and mixings. The numerical procedure yields results for the right-handed neutrino masses and mixings and the various CP-violating phases. We also discuss phenomenological applications of the model to neutrinoless double beta decay, lepton-flavor-violating decays (including decays such as \tau \to 3\mu) and leptogenesis.Comment: 26 pages, 4 figure

A investigação criminal conduzida pelo delegado de polícia de acordo com o CPP e a Lei 12.850/13 comparando-a com o sistema português: do agente infiltrado

O presente trabalho trata da investigação criminal conduzida pelo Delegado de Polícia de acordo com o Código de Processo Penal e a Lei n.º 12.850/13, que representa uma importante inovação no campo jurídico brasileiro com vistas à persecução das organizações criminosas. Dentre as novas metodologias investigatórias concebidas pelo novel diploma, revela-se problemática, também, a do agente infiltrado, por se tratar de medida extremamente invasiva e que mereceu uma pesquisa aprofundada em doutrina e jurisprudência, de âmbito nacional e internacional, para verificar se o seu emprego ofende garantias processuais, quais os seus limites e se há semelhanças e diferenças entre a infiltração de agentes no Brasil e em Portugal. A investigação tem início com sua aplicação e delimitação nas Leis n.º 9.034/95, 12.694/12 e 12.850/13. Na sequência, apresentam-se as metodologias especiais de investigação das organizações criminosas, com delimitação do objeto ao agente infiltrado, encerrando o trabalho com uma comparação entre os institutos jurídicos de Brasil e Portugal.The present work it's about the criminal investigation leding by the police acording to penal process code under the law n° 12,850/13, witch represents an important inovation for the brasilian judicial field looking for persecution of criminal organizations. Among the new metodologies for investigation that goes into the new diploma, it looks like a problematic way, and also, for undercover agent in the workshop field, because of extremely invaded measure and for that reason it deserves a deep research in doctrine and commom law, in the nacional and internacional enviroment, for checking if his job could fight for processual garanties, witch are its limits and if there are similarities or diferences between undercover agent in Brazil and Portugal. The investigation began with its aplication and the limitation in the laws n.º 9.034/95, 12.694/12 e 12.850/13. Following, we are presenting all the special metodologies from criminal organizations, with the subject delimitation to the job of the undercover agent, ending the job with a comparation between juridicional institutions from Brazil and Portugal

Paleoproterozoic source contributions to the São Roque Group sedimentation: LA-MC-ICPMS U-Pb dating and Sm-Nd systematics of clasts from metaconglomerates of the Boturuna Formation

The São Roque Group is characterized by volcano-sedimentary sequences, in which deposition probably started in the late Paleoproterozoic. U-Pb dating by LA-MC-ICPMS of zircons extracted from predominantly equigranular monzogranites clasts from Morro Doce and Morro do Polvilho regions, yield paleoproterozoic ages of 2199 ± 8.5 Ma and 2247 ± 13 Ma, respectively. These represent the ages for the main source of granite for the metaconglomerates from the Boturuna Formation (basal unit of São Roque Group). Its polycyclic history is reinforced by the presence of inherited Archean zircons (2694 ± 29 Ma) found within the clasts. Moreover, these clasts have also been affected by the Neoproterozoic overprinting event as indicated by their lower intercept Concordia ages. Sm-Nd isotope data for the main clast varieties from the Morro Doce metaconglomerates yield T DM ages of 2.6 to 2.7 Ga, demonstrating that these granites are the recycling products of an Archean crustal component. The metaconglomerate arkosean framework yields slightly lower εNd(t) values than those for the clasts, indicating that a younger and/or more primitive source also contributed to the Boturuna Formation.O Grupo São Roque é caracterizado por uma sequência vulcanossedimentar com deposição provavelmente iniciada no Paleoproterozoico tardio. Datações U-Pb obtidas por LA-MC-ICPMS de zircões extraídos das variedades predominantes dos clastos de monzogranitos equigranulares, das regiões do Morro Doce e Morro do Polvilho, mostram idades paleoproterozoicas de 2199 ± 8,5 Ma e 2247 ± 13 Ma, respectivamente. Estas representam as idades da principal fonte de granito da Formação Boturuna (unidade basal do Grupo São Roque). A história policíclica deste domínio é reforçada pela presença de zircões arqueanos herdados (2694 ± 29 Ma), encontrados nos clastos. Além disso, tais clastos também foram afetados pelo evento Neoproterozoico, conforme indicado pelo intercepto inferior das idades concórdia. Dados isotópicos Sm-Nd para os principais clastos do metaconglomerado do Morro Doce têm idades T DM entre 2,6 a 2,7 Ga, demonstrando que estes granitos são produtos da reciclagem de um componente crustal arqueano. O arcabouço dos metaconglomerados, quando comparado com os clastos, mostra valores mais baixos de εNd(t), indicando contribuições de fontes mais jovens e/ou primitivas para a Formação Boturuna

Low-level laser therapy (808 nm) contributes to muscle regeneration and prevents fibrosis in rat tibialis anterior muscle after cryolesion

Muscle regeneration is a complex phenomenon, involving replacement of damaged fibers by new muscle fibers. During this process, there is a tendency to form scar tissue or fibrosis by deposition of collagen that could be detrimental to muscle function. New therapies that could regulate fibrosis and favor muscle regeneration would be important for physical therapy. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been studied for clinical treatment of skeletal muscle injuries and disorders, even though the molecular and cellular mechanisms have not yet been clarified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of LLLT on molecular markers involved in muscle fibrosis and regeneration after cryolesion of the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle in rats. Sixty Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: control, injured TA muscle without LLLT, injured TA muscle treated with LLLT. The injured region was irradiated daily for four consecutive days, starting immediately after the lesion using an AlGaAs laser (808 nm, 30 mW, 180 J/cm[superscript 2]; 3.8 W/cm[superscript 2], 1.4 J). The animals were sacrificed on the fourth day after injury. LLLT significantly reduced the lesion percentage area in the injured muscle (p < 0.05), increased mRNA levels of the transcription factors MyoD and myogenin (p < 0.01) and the pro-angiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor (p < 0.01). Moreover, LLLT decreased the expression of the profibrotic transforming growth factor TGF-β mRNA (p < 0.01) and reduced type I collagen deposition (p < 0.01). These results suggest that LLLT could be an effective therapeutic approach for promoting skeletal muscle regeneration while preventing tissue fibrosis after muscle injury.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (grant R01AI050875)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível SuperiorConselho Nacional de Pesquisas (Brazil)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paul

Low intensity laser therapy accelerates muscle regeneration in aged rats

Background: Elderly people suffer from skeletal muscle disorders that undermine their daily activity and quality of life; some of these problems can be listed as but not limited to: sarcopenia, changes in central and peripheral nervous system, blood hypoperfusion, regenerative changes contributing to atrophy, and muscle weakness. Determination, proliferation and differentiation of satellite cells in the regenerative process are regulated by specific transcription factors, known as myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs). In the elderly, the activation of MRFs is inefficient which hampers the regenerative process. Recent studies found that low intensity laser therapy (LILT) has a stimulatory effect in the muscle regeneration process. However, the effects of this therapy when associated with aging are still unknown. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of LILT (λ=830 nm) on the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle of aged rats. Subjects and methods: The total of 56 male Wistar rats formed two population sets: old and young, with 28 animals in each set. Each of these sets were randomly divided into four groups of young rats (3 months of age) with n=7 per group and four groups of aged rats (10 months of age) with n=7 per group. These groups were submitted to cryoinjury + laser irradiation, cryoinjury only, laser irradiation only and the control group (no cryoinjury/no laser irradiation). The laser treatment was performed for 5 consecutive days. The first laser application was done 24 h after the injury (on day 2) and on the seventh day, the TA muscle was dissected and removed under anesthesia. After this the animals were euthanized. Histological analyses with toluidine blue as well as hematoxylin-eosin staining (for counting the blood capillaries) were performed for the lesion areas. In addition, MyoD and VEGF mRNA was assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: The results showed significant elevation (p<0.05) in MyoD and VEGF genes expression levels. Moreover, capillary blood count was more prominent in elderly rats in laser irradiated groups when compared to young animals. Conclusion: In conclusion, LILT increased the maturation of satellite cells into myoblasts and myotubes, enhancing the regenerative process of aged rats irradiated with laser.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (grant RO1AI050875

Global seaweed productivity

The magnitude and distribution of net primary production (NPP) in the coastal ocean remains poorly constrained, particularly for shallow marine vegetation. Here, using a compilation of in situ annual NPP measurements across >400 sites in 72 geographic ecoregions, we provide global predictions of the productivity of seaweed habitats, which form the largest vegetated coastal biome on the planet. We find that seaweed NPP is strongly coupled to climatic variables, peaks at temperate latitudes, and is dominated by forests of large brown seaweeds. Seaweed forests exhibit exceptionally high per-area production rates (a global average of 656 and 1711 gC m−2 year−1 in the subtidal and intertidal, respectively), being up to 10 times higher than coastal phytoplankton in temperate and polar seas. Our results show that seaweed NPP is a strong driver of production in the coastal ocean and call for its integration in the oceanic carbon cycle, where it has traditionally been overlooked.publishedVersio

Implementation of clinical guidelines in Brazil : should academic detailing be used?

Objective: The Brazilian National Health System provides high cost medicines through the Specialized Component of Pharmaceutical Assistance in accordance with adherence to agreed Clinical Guidelines. However, physician compliance to these Guidelines, as well as the barriers and facilitators related to them and the influence on the subsequent quality of care provided is unknown. Consequently, the objectives of this paper are to undertake a review of international experiences and scientific publications of a strategy to disseminate and communicate guidelines to physicians through Academic Detailing. Subsequently use the findings to develop and conduct a pilot Academic Detailing Program in Brazil targeting specialists who prescribe medicines for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, which are part of the Specialized Component of Pharmaceutical Assistance. Methods: Review international experiences and scientific publications relating to academic detailing based on a thorough review of available literature including publications known to the co-authors. Develop and monitor physician acceptance of academic detailing for patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and the impact on future prescribing. Key findings: Based on the lessons learnt from the international experience and review, coupled with the initial experiences in Brazil, we conclude that conducting academic detailing to enhance the implementation and dissemination of clinical protocols and therapeutic guidelines in Brazil is worthwhile. We will be closely monitoring the outcome of the pilot academic detailing programme as a basis for developing future programmes to further improve the quality of prescribing in Brazil. Conclusion: Findings from the experiences are encouraging. This will be further explored to provide a basis for this approach in the future

Development of sensor nodes and sensors for smart farming

The world population is continuously increasing. Smart farming is required to keep up with this development by producing more food in a sustainable way. In many new sensor solution developments, the results of the sensor itself is at the target, but the whole solution fails to meet the requirements of the agriculture sensing use cases: the developments suffer from singular approaches with a constricted view solely on the sensor, which might be exchangeable. In this article, we present a holistic approach that can help to overcome these challenges. This approach considers the whole use case, from sense, compute, and connect to power. The approach is discussed with the example of the PLANtAR project, where we develop a soil nitrate sensor and a new leaf wetness and microclimate sensor for application in a greenhouse. The resulting sensor is integrated into a sensor node and compared to a state-of-the-art system. The work shows what is needed to assess the best tradeoffs for agriculture use cases based on a horticulture application