Neutralinos betray their singlino nature at the ILC

It is one of the most challenging tasks at the Large Hadron Collider and at a future Linear Collider not only to observe physics beyond the Standard Model, but to clearly identify the underlying new physics model. In this paper we concentrate on the distinction between two different supersymmetric models, the MSSM and the NMSSM, as they can lead to similar low energy spectra. The NMSSM adds a singlet superfield to the MSSM particle spectrum and simplifies embedding a SM-like Higgs candidate with the measured mass of about 125.5 GeV. In parts of the parameter space the Higgs sector itself does not provide sufficient indications for the underlying model. We show that exploring the gaugino/higgsino sectors could provide a meaningful way to distinguish the two models. Assuming that only the lightest chargino and neutralino masses and polarized cross sections $e^+e^-\to \tilde{\chi}^0_i\tilde{\chi}^0_j$, $\tilde{\chi}^+_i\tilde{\chi}^-_j$ are accessible at the linear collider, we reconstruct the fundamental MSSM parameters $M_1$, $M_2$, $\mu$, $\tan\beta$ and study whether a unique model distinction is possible based on this restricted information. Depending on the singlino admixture in the lightest neutralino states, as well as their higgsino or gaugino nature, we define several classes of scenarios and study the prospects of experimental differentiation.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figure

New transitions and levels for Tb 163 obtained from β -decay studies

Transitions in Tb163 following β decay of Gd163 were obtained as part of investigations of γ rays emitted following Eu163β decay to Gd163. Detailed analysis of the low-energy structure of Tb163 has been carried out with these data to expand previous β-decay studies and reactions studies of levels in Tb163. Data were collected at the LeRIBSS station of the Holifield Radioactive Ion Beam Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory with an array of four Clover HPGe detectors for γ rays and two plastic scintillators for β detection. The γ rays were identified as belonging to Gd163 and Tb163 via mass selection and γ-γ-β, γ-γ, or γ-x-ray coincidence. In total, 38 new γ-ray transitions were observed in Tb163 from 15 newly identified levels and 12 previously identified levels. Potential energy surface calculations were performed which support a rigid prolate deformation. Previously identified unplaced transitions in Tb163 have been placed within the level scheme of Tb163 and additional states and transitions have been identified

Visceral Adipose Tissue Inflammatory Factors (TNF-Alpha, SOCS3) in Gestational Diabetes (GDM): Epigenetics as a Clue in GDM Pathophysiology

Gestational diabetes (GDM) is among the most challenging diseases in westernized countries, affecting mother and child, immediately and in later life. Obesity is a major risk factor for GDM. However, the impact visceral obesity and related epigenetics play for GDM etiopathogenesis have hardly been considered so far. Our recent findings within the prospective 'EaCH' cohort study of women with GDM or normal glucose tolerance (NGT), showed the role, critical factors of insulin resistance (i.e., adiponectin, insulin receptor) may have for GDM pathophysiology with epigenetically modified expression in subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral (VAT) adipose tissues. Here we investigated the expression and promoter methylation of key inflammatory candidates, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) in maternal adipose tissues collected during caesarian section (GDM, n = 19; NGT, n = 22). The mRNA expression of TNF-α and SOCS3 was significantly increased in VAT, but not in SAT, of GDM patients vs. NGT, accompanied by specific alterations of respective promoter methylation patterns. In conclusion, we propose a critical role of VAT and visceral obesity for the pathogenesis of GDM, with epigenetic alterations of the expression of inflammatory factors as a potential factor

Degradation of reactive red 195 by selected bacteria from textile wastewater

Four selected bacterial strains coded R1, R2, Rc and Rd were successfully isolated from raw textile wastewater. They were screened for their ability to degrade an azo dye of Reactive Red 195 on solid and in liquid dye-containing media. Screening showed that decolourization was best performed under anaerobic condition with the highest colour removal (˜70%) showed by bacterium R2. The partial 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (16S rRNA) sequence of bacterium R2 shared 98% sequence similarity to Paenibacillus sp.. Decolourization by this bacterium in a chemically defined medium containing (gL-1) of glucose (1), NH4Cl (0.5), K2HPO4 (7), KH2PO4 (2), MgSO4.7H2O (0.1), CaCl2 (0.02), and Reactive red 195 (0.1), adjusted to pH7 and with (10% v/v) inoculum occurred under partial anaerobic condition at temperature of 37°C. Under optimized condition, bacterium R2 successfully removed more than 95% colour and up to 50% of total organic carbon. No significant change in pH was observed (pH from 7.21 to 7.25) though the anaerobiosis was found to be developed throughout the experiment (redox potential reduced from 2.5 to 0.5 mV). This bacterium produced intracellular (0.033 U/mL) and extracellular (0.026 U/mL) azoreductase enzymes which were found to be stable at pH from 6 to 8 and temperature ranging from 30 ºC to 40ºC. High performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that biodegradation of Reactive Red 195 under partial anaerobic condition produced at least three types of sulfonated amines which were 4-aminobenzenesulphonic acid (sulphanilic acid), 4-amino-3- hydronapthalenesulphonic acid and 4-amino-5-hydronapthalene-2,7disulphonic acid. The sulphanilic acid can be further degraded to a-ketoglutaric acid, a common Krebs cycle’s intermediate in most aerobic microorganism. Therefore, it can be concluded that the Paenibacillus sp. is of good potential use for the treatment of azo dye-containing wastewater based on its ability to remove colour

XRD and XPS studies of surface MMC layers developed by laser alloying Ti6Al4V using a combination of a dilute nitrogen environment and SiC powder

Using a continuous-wave CO2 laser, surface engineering of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy through a combined treatment of laser nitriding and SiC preplacement was undertaken. Under spinning laser beam conditions, a surface alloyed / metal matrix composite (MMC) layer over 300μm in depth and 24mm wide was produced in the alloy by the overlapping of 12 tracks. Microstructural and chemical changes were studied as a function of (a) depth in the laser formed composite layer and (b) of the track position. Using X- ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photospectrographic (XPS) techniques, it was shown that the composite layer contained a complex microstructure which changed with depth. At the surface, a non-stoichiometric, cubic TiNx solid solution ( possibly a carbonitride) containing C and Si , where x ≈ 0.65-0.8, was prominent, but was replaced by α′-Ti with increasing depth to 300μm. TiC phase was also identified, and the presence of TiN0.3 and Ti5Si3 phases considered a distinct possibility.

Isobaric incompressibility of the isospin asymmetric nuclear matter

The isospin dependence of the saturation properties of asymmetric nuclear matter, particularly the incompressibility $K_\infty (X) = K_\infty + K_\tau X^2 + O(X^4)$ at saturation density is systematically studied using density dependent M3Y interaction. The $K_\tau$ characterizes the isospin dependence of the incompressibility at saturation density $\rho_0$. The approximate expression $K_{asy} \approx K_{sym}-6L$ is often used for $K_\tau$ where $L$ and $K_{sym}$ represent, respectively, the slope and curvature parameters of the symmetry energy at $\rho_0$. It can be expressed accurately as $K_\tau=K_{sym}-6L-\frac{Q_0}{K_\infty}L$ where $Q_0$ is the third-order derivative parameter of symmetric nuclear matter at $\rho_0$. The results of this addendum to Phys. Rev. C 80, 011305(R) (2009) indicate that the $Q_0$ contribution to $K_\tau$ is not insignificant.Comment: 4 pages including 1 table and 1 figur

Moral Development of First Year Pharmacy Students in the United Kingdom

Objective. To investigate the moral development of pharmacy students over their first academic year of study at a university in the United Kingdom. Methods. Pharmacy students completed Defining Issues Test (DIT) at the start of their first year (phase 1) and again at the end of their first year (phase 2) of the program. Results. Pharmacy students (N=116) had significantly higher moral reasoning at the beginning of their first year than by the end of it. Scores differed by students’ gender and age; however, these findings differed between phase 1 and phase 2. Conclusion. First-year pharmacy students in the United Kingdom scored lower on moral reasoning than did pharmacy students in the United States and Canada