26 research outputs found
Chromomagnetic Dipole Moment of the Top Quark Revisited
We study the complete one-loop contributions to the chromagnetic dipole
moment of the top quark in the Standard Model, two Higgs doublet
models, topcolor assited technicolor models (TC2), 331 models and extended
models with a single extra dimension. We find that the SM predicts
and that the predictions of the other models are also
consitent with the constraints imposed on by low-energy
precision measurements.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, Updat
Muon anomalous magnetic moment, lepton flavor violation, and flavor changing neutral current processes in SUSY GUT with right-handed neutrino
Motivated by the large mixing angle solutions for the atmospheric and solar
neutrino anomalies, flavor changing neutral current processes and lepton flavor
violating processes as well as the muon anomalous magnetic moment are analyzed
in the framework of SU(5) SUSY GUT with right-handed neutrino. In order to
explain realistic mass relations for quarks and leptons, we take into account
effects of higher dimensional operators above the GUT scale. It is shown that
the supersymmetric (SUSY) contributions to the CP violation parameter in
mixing, , the branching ratio,
and the muon anomalous magnetic moment become large in a wide range of
parameter space. We also investigate correlations among these quantities.
Within the current experimental bound of , large
SUSY contributions are possible either in the muon anomalous magnetic moment or
in . In the former case, the favorable value of the recent muon
anomalous magnetic moment measurement at the BNL E821 experiment can be
accommodated. In the latter case, the allowed region of the Kobayashi-Maskawa
phase can be different from the prediction within the Standard Model (SM) and
therefore the measurements of the CP asymmetry of mode and
could discriminate this case from the SM. We also show that
the branching ratio can be close to the current
experimental upperbound and the mixing induced CP asymmetry of the radiative B
decay can be enhanced in the case where the neutrino parameters correspond to
the Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein small mixing angle solution.Comment: 70 pages, 14 figure
Collider aspects of flavour physics at high Q
This review presents flavour related issues in the production and decays of
heavy states at LHC, both from the experimental side and from the theoretical
side. We review top quark physics and discuss flavour aspects of several
extensions of the Standard Model, such as supersymmetry, little Higgs model or
models with extra dimensions. This includes discovery aspects as well as
measurement of several properties of these heavy states. We also present public
available computational tools related to this topic.Comment: Report of Working Group 1 of the CERN Workshop ``Flavour in the era
of the LHC'', Geneva, Switzerland, November 2005 -- March 200
Observed and forecasted changes in land use by polar bears in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, 1985â2040
Monitoring changes in the distribution of large carnivores is important for managing human safety and supporting conservation. Throughout much of their range, polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are increasingly using terrestrial habitats in response to Arctic sea ice decline. Their increased presence in coastal areas has implications for bear-human conflict, inter-species interactions, and polar bear health and survival. We examined observed trends in land use over three decades by polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea (SB) and Chukchi Sea (CS) where bears have traditionally spent most of the year on the sea ice. Using data from 408 adult females fitted with satellite radio-collars, we examined trends in the annual proportion of bears coming onshore (hereafter referred to as âpercent of bearsâ) during the summer for â„ 21 days, arrival and departure dates, duration spent onshore and relationships with sea ice metrics. We then estimated future land use through 2040 by extrapolating trends and by combining observed relationships between land use and sea ice with projections of future sea ice from an ensemble of earth system models. The observed percent of bears summering onshore and their duration onshore was correlated with the percent of open water that occurred within their populationâs range between July and October. As sea ice declined, the percent of bears summering onshore increased from âŒ5â30% in the SB and âŒ10â50% in the CS and duration onshore increased by > 30 days to 60â70 days in both populations. Using a range of greenhouse gas emission scenarios and adjustments for faster than forecasted sea ice loss we estimated that 50â62% of SB and 79â88% of CS bears will spend 90â108 and 110â126 days onshore during summer in the SB and CS, respectively, by 2040. Sea ice projections varied little between greenhouse gas emission scenarios prior to 2040 but diverged thereafter. Observed and forecasted increases in polar bear land occupancy puts more bears in proximity to human activities and settlements for longer durations while extending the lack of access to their primary prey. Because human conflict is one of the primary factors affecting the conservation of large carnivores worldwide, mitigation of bear-human interactions on land will be an increasingly important component of polar bear conservation
Global change-driven use of onshore habitat impacts polar bear faecal microbiota
The gut microbiota plays a critical role in host health, yet remains poorly studied in wild species. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus), key indicators of Arctic ecosystem health and environmental change, are currently affected by rapid shifts in habitat that may alter gut homeostasis. Declining sea ice has led to a divide in the southern Beaufort Sea polar bear subpopulation such that an increasing proportion of individuals now inhabit onshore coastal regions during the open-water period (âonshore bearsâ) while others continue to exhibit their typical behaviour of remaining on the ice (âoffshore bearsâ). We propose that bears that have altered their habitat selection in response to climate change will exhibit a distinct gut microbiota diversity and composition, which may ultimately have important consequences for their health. Here, we perform the first assessment of abundance and diversity in the faecal microbiota of wild polar bears using 16S rRNA Illumina technology. We find that bacterial diversity is significantly higher in onshore bears compared to offshore bears. The most enriched OTU abundance in onshore bears belonged to the phylum Proteobacteria, while the most depleted OTU abundance within onshore bears was seen in the phylum Firmicutes. We conclude that climate-driven changes in polar bear land use are associated with distinct microbial communities. In doing so, we present the first case of global change mediated alterations in the gut microbiota of a free-roaming wild animal
State of knowledge on current exposure, fate and potential health effects of contaminants in polar bears from the circumpolar Arctic
The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is among the Arctic species exposed to the highest concentrations of long-range transported bioaccumulative contaminants, such as halogenated organic compounds and mercury. Contaminant exposure is considered to be one of the largest threats to polar bears after the loss of their Arctic sea ice habitat due to climate change. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary of current exposure, fate, and potential health effects of contaminants in polar bears from the circumpolar Arctic required by the Circumpolar Action Plan for polar bear conservation. Overall results suggest that legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including polychlorinated biphenyls, chlordanes and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), followed by other perfluoroalkyl compounds (e.g. carboxylic acids, PFCAs) and brominated flame retardants, are still the main compounds in polar bears. Concentrations of several legacy POPs that have been banned for decades in most parts of the world have generally declined in polar bears. Current spatial trends of contaminants vary widely between compounds and recent studies suggest increased concentrations of both POPs and PFCAs in certain subpopulations. Correlative field studies, supported by in vitro studies, suggest that contaminant exposure disrupts circulating levels of thyroid hormones and lipid metabolism, and alters neurochemistry in polar bears. Additionally, field and in vitro studies and risk a