131 research outputs found
MFV Reductions of MSSM Parameter Space
The 100+ free parameters of the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM)
make it computationally difficult to compare systematically with data,
motivating the study of specific parameter reductions such as the cMSSM and
pMSSM. Here we instead study the reductions of parameter space implied by using
minimal flavour violation (MFV) to organise the R-parity conserving MSSM, with
a view towards systematically building in constraints on flavour-violating
physics. Within this framework the space of parameters is reduced by expanding
soft supersymmetry-breaking terms in powers of the Cabibbo angle, leading to a
24-, 30- or 42-parameter framework (which we call MSSM-24, MSSM-30, and MSSM-42
respectively), depending on the order kept in the expansion. We provide a
Bayesian global fit to data of the MSSM-30 parameter set to show that this is
manageable with current tools. We compare the MFV reductions to the
19-parameter pMSSM choice and show that the pMSSM is not contained as a subset.
The MSSM-30 analysis favours a relatively lighter TeV-scale pseudoscalar Higgs
boson and with multi-TeV sparticles.Comment: 2nd version, minor comments and references added, accepted for
publication in JHE
Probing the Catalytic Roles of Arg548 and Gln552 in the Carboxyl Transferase Domain of the \u3cem\u3eRhizobium etli\u3c/em\u3e Pyruvate Carboxylase by Site-directed Mutagenesis
The roles of Arg548 and Gln552 residues in the active site of the carboxyl transferase domain of Rhizobium etli pyruvate carboxylase were investigated using site-directed mutagenesis. Mutation of Arg548 to alanine or glutamine resulted in the destabilization of the quaternary structure of the enzyme, suggesting that this residue has a structural role. Mutations R548K, Q552N, and Q552A resulted in a loss of the ability to catalyze pyruvate carboxylation, biotin-dependent decarboxylation of oxaloacetate, and the exchange of protons between pyruvate and water. These mutants retained the ability to catalyze reactions that occur at the active site of the biotin carboxylase domain, i.e., bicarbonate-dependent ATP cleavage and ADP phosphorylation by carbamoyl phosphate. The effects of oxamate on the catalysis in the biotin carboxylase domain by the R548K and Q552N mutants were similar to those on the catalysis of reactions by the wild-type enzyme. However, the presence of oxamate had no effect on the reactions catalyzed by the Q552A mutant. We propose that Arg548 and Gln552 facilitate the binding of pyruvate and the subsequent transfer of protons between pyruvate and biotin in the partial reaction catalyzed in the active site of the carboxyl transferase domain of Rhizobium etli pyruvate carboxylase
Acquired factor VIII inhibitor associated with chronic untreated hepatitis C
Acquired inhibitors of coagulation are antibodies that either inhibit the activity or increase the clearance of a clotting factor. A hemorrhagic diathesis is a common clinical manifestation in affected patients. Acquired factor VIII inhibitor – or acquired hemophilia A – is a rare disorder and presents similarly to hemophilia A, though patients are less likely to develop hemarthroses. This inhibition is most commonly due to autoantibodies against coagulation factor VIII. These autoantibodies often occur in pregnancy, autoimmune disorders, solid tumors, and lymphoproliferative syndromes. Several drugs, including penicillins, phenytoin, and sulfa drugs, have also been associated with antibodies to factor VIII. Chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), in addition to various degrees of liver inflammation and fibrosis, can have extrahepatic manifestations, especially autoimmune disorders. The most common hematological complications of HCV infection are thrombocytopenia, cryoglobulinemia, and anti-cardiolipin antibodies. A few cases of factor VIII inhibitors occurring in HCV patients have been reported, with a higher incidence after prolonged treatment with interferon-α. Here, we present a case of a patient with chronic untreated HCV infection developing acquired factor VIII deficiency
Pengaruh Dopant terhadap Konduktivitas dan Struktur Elektronik Poli (Heksil Tiofen)
PENGARUH DOPANT TERHADAP KONDUKTIVITAS DAN STRUKTUR ELEKTRONIK POLI (HEKSIL TIOFEN). Poli(3-heksil tiofen) merupakan polimer terkonjugasi yang memiliki sifat optik dan listrik yang menarik dan memiliki potensi aplikasi sebagai bahan solar sel, fotodioda dan transistor organik. Untuk kepentingan aplikasi tersebut, diperlukan bahan polimer dengan tingkat konduksi listrik tertentu, yang besarnya dapat dikontrol melalui proses doping. Dalam penelitian ini dilakukan studi doping poli(3-heksil tiofen) dengan menggunakan dopant perklorat (HClO4) dan dianalisis pengaruhnya terhadap konduktivitas dan struktur elektronik bahan yang bersangkutan. Konduktivitas bahan yang diukur dengan teknik four line probe menunjukkan adanya peningkatan karena pengaruh dopant. Selain itu, hasil pengukuran dengan spektroskopi UV-Vis menunjukkan konsentrasi dopant mempengaruhi spektrum bahan poli(3-heksil tiofen). Konsentrasi dopant yang tinggi (lebih besar dari 0,25 M) menimbulkan puncak absorpsi baru pada panjang gelombang 750 nm, yang diinterpretasikan sebagai munculnya pita energi baru diantara band gap
Modified Signals for Supersymmetry in the NMSSM with a Singlino-like LSP
In the framework of the NMSSM with a singlino-like LSP, we study
quantitatively the impact of the additional bino -> singlino cascade on the
efficiencies in several search channels for supersymmetry of the ATLAS and CMS
collaborations. Compared to the MSSM, the additional cascade reduces the
missing transverse energy, but leads to additional jets or leptons. For the
NMSSM benchmark lines which generalize cMSSM benchmark points, the efficiencies
in the most relevant 2/3 jet + missing energy search channels can drop by
factors ~1/3 to ~1/7, and can reduce the present lower bounds on M_{1/2} by as
much as ~0.9 - 0.75 in the NMSSM for large bino-singlino mass differences. The
larger efficiencies in multijet or multilepton search channels are not strong
enough to affect this conclusion. In the fully constrained cNMSSM, sparticle
decay cascades via the lightest stau can lead to signal cross sections in
multilepton and 2tau search channels which are potentially visible at the LHC
with 7 TeV center of mass energy.Comment: 24 pages, 9 Figures, misprint in Table 1 correcre
NLL soft and Coulomb resummation for squark and gluino production at the LHC
We present predictions of the total cross sections for pair production of
squarks and gluinos at the LHC, including the stop-antistop production process.
Our calculation supplements full fixed-order NLO predictions with resummation
of threshold logarithms and Coulomb singularities at next-to-leading
logarithmic (NLL) accuracy, including bound-state effects. The numerical effect
of higher-order Coulomb terms can be as big or larger than that of soft-gluon
corrections. For a selection of benchmark points accessible with data from the
2010-2012 LHC runs, resummation leads to an enhancement of the total inclusive
squark and gluino production cross section in the 15-30 % range. For individual
production processes of gluinos, the corrections can be much larger. The
theoretical uncertainty in the prediction of the hard-scattering cross sections
is typically reduced to the 10 % level.Comment: 45 pages, 16 Figures, LaTex. v2: published version. Grids with
numerical results for the NLL cross sections for squark and gluino production
at the 7/8 TeV LHC are included in the submission and are also available at
http://omnibus.uni-freiburg.de/~cs1010/susy.htm
Gaugino production in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV
Motivated by hints for a light Standard Model-like Higgs boson and a shift in
experimental attention towards electroweak supersymmetry particle production at
the CERN LHC, we update in this paper our precision predictions at
next-to-leading order of perturbative QCD matched to resummation at the
next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy for direct gaugino pair production in
proton-proton collisions with a center-of-mass energy of 8 TeV. Tables of total
cross sections are presented together with the corresponding scale and parton
density uncertainties for benchmark points adopted recently by the experimental
collaborations, and figures are presented for up-to-date model lines attached
to them. Since the experimental analyses are currently obtained with parton
showers matched to multi-parton matrix elements, we also analyze the precision
of this procedure by comparing invariant-mass and transverse-momentum
distributions obtained in this way to those obtained with threshold and
transverse-momentum resummation.Comment: 28 pages, 7 figures, 9 tables; version to appear in JHE
Using rates to measure mixed modulus-anomaly mediated supersymmetry breaking at the LHC
If SUSY is discovered at the LHC, the task will immediately turn to
determining the model of SUSY breaking. Here, we employ a Mixed Modulus-Anomaly
Mediated SUSY Breaking (MMAMSB) model with very similar LHC phenomenology to
the more conventionally studied Constrained Minimal SUSY Model (CMSSM) and
minimal Anomaly Mediated SUSY Breaking (mAMSB) models. We then study whether
the models can be distinguished and measured. If we only fit to the various
mass edges and mass end-points from cascade decay chains that are normally
studied, a unique determination and measurement of the model is problematic
without substantial amounts of LHC data. However, if event rate information is
included, we can quickly distinguish and measure the correct SUSY model and
exclude alternatives.Comment: 28 pages, 11 figure
Assessing the impact of forest structure disturbances on the arboreal movement and energetics of orangutans—An agent-based modeling approach
This is the final version. Available from Frontiers Media via the DOI in this record. Data availability statement:
The datasets presented in this study can be found in
online repositories. The names of the repository/repositories
and accession number(s) can be found in the
article/Supplementary material.Agent-based models have been developed and widely employed to assess the impact of disturbances or conservation management on animal habitat use, population development, and viability. However, the direct impacts of canopy disturbance on the arboreal movement of individual primates have been less studied. Such impacts could shed light on the cascading effects of disturbances on animal health and fitness. Orangutans are an arboreal primate that commonly encounters habitat quality deterioration due to land-use changes and related disturbances such as forest fires. Forest disturbance may, therefore, create a complex stress scenario threatening orangutan populations. Due to forest disturbances, orangutans may adapt to employ more terrestrial, as opposed to arboreal, movements potentially prolonging the search for fruiting and nesting trees. In turn, this may lead to changes in daily activity patterns (i.e., time spent traveling, feeding, and resting) and available energy budget, potentially decreasing the orangutan's fitness. We developed the agent-based simulation model BORNEO (arBOReal aNimal movEment mOdel), which explicitly describes both orangutans' arboreal and terrestrial movement in a forest habitat, depending on distances between trees and canopy structures. Orangutans in the model perform activities with a motivation to balance energy intake and expenditure through locomotion. We tested the model using forest inventory data obtained in Sebangau National Park, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. This allowed us to construct virtual forests with real characteristics including tree connectivity, thus creating the potential to expand the environmental settings for simulation experiments. In order to parameterize the energy related processes of the orangutans described in the model, we applied a computationally intensive evolutionary algorithm and evaluated the simulation results against observed behavioral patterns of orangutans. Both the simulated variability and proportion of activity budgets including feeding, resting, and traveling time for female and male orangutans confirmed the suitability of the model for its purpose. We used the calibrated model to compare the activity patterns and energy budgets of orangutans in both natural and disturbed forests. The results confirm field observations that orangutans in the disturbed forest are more likely to experience deficit energy balance due to traveling to the detriment of feeding time. Such imbalance is more pronounced in males than in females. The finding of a threshold of forest disturbances that affects a significant change in activity and energy budgets suggests potential threats to the orangutan population. Our study introduces the first agent-based model describing the arboreal movement of primates that can serve as a tool to investigate the direct impact of forest changes and disturbances on the behavior of species such as orangutans. Moreover, it demonstrates the suitability of high-performance computing to optimize the calibration of complex agent-based models describing animal behavior at a fine spatio-temporal scale (1-m and 1-s granularity).UKR
Dark Matter in the MSSM
We have recently examined a large number of points in the parameter space of
the phenomenological MSSM, the 19-dimensional parameter space of the
CP-conserving MSSM with Minimal Flavor Violation. We determined whether each of
these points satisfied existing experimental and theoretical constraints. This
analysis provides insight into general features of the MSSM without reference
to a particular SUSY breaking scenario or any other assumptions at the GUT
scale. This study opens up new possibilities for SUSY phenomenology both in
colliders and in astrophysical experiments. Here we shall discuss the
implications of this analysis relevant to the study of dark matter.Comment: 27 pages, 19 figs; Journal version in NJP issue "Focus on Dark Matter
and Particle Physics". Previous version had 26 pages, 19 figures. Text and
some figures have been update
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