Precision and uncertainties in mass scale predictions in SUSY SO(10) with SU(2)_L x SU(2)_R x U(1)_{B-L} x SU(3)_C intermediate breaking

In a class of SUSY SO(10) with $SU(2)_L x SU(2)_R x U(1)_{B-L} x SU(3)_C$ $(g_{2L}\neq g_{2R})$ intermediate gauge symmetry, we observe that the prediction on the unification mass $(M_U)$ is unaffected by Planck-scale-induced gravitational and intermediate-scale-threshold effects, although the intermediate scale $(M_I)$ itself is subject to such corrections. In particular, without invoking the presence of additional lighter scalar degrees of freedom but including plausible and reasonable threshold effects, we find that interesting solutions for neutrino physics corresponding to $M_I\simeq 10^{10}-10^{13}$ GeV and $M_U\simeq (5-6) x 10^{17}$ GeV are permitted in the minimal models. Possibilities of low-mass right-handed gauge bosons corresponding to $M_I\simeq 1-10$ TeV consistent with the CERN-LEP data are pointed out in a number of models when threshold effects are included using effective mass parameters.Comment: 12 pages including 7 tables (Typos corrected as per the published version

The impact of public policy on entrepreneurial activity in emerging markets

The outcome of this research paper provides guiding principles to policymakers in emerging markets at a specific policy level in an effort to stimulate entrepreneurial growth and, in turn, increased economic growth. Seven hypotheses relating to either starting a business or the ease of continuing to do business were assessed. The study was completed using a sample of seven emerging markets including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, India, Russia and South Africa. Data was sourced from the World Bank and Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. Two multiple regression models were produced to compare the BRICS markets sample to the total sample. It showed that the complexity and time to start a business were not significant to the total sample but were influential within the BRICS countries. Similarly, complexity and time to enforce a contract was proven significant to the BRICS markets but not within the total sample. The total tax rate and the number of tax payments were influential in both models, whilst the time to prepare and pay taxes was significant only within the total sample. The cost to start to start a business did not prove to be significant in either case. Several practical recommendations have been provided to leverage these findings.Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012.Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)unrestricte

The influence of socially constructed masculinities on gender-based violence: A content analysis of published academic literature

Gender-based violence is a global epidemic. Masculinities-focused interventions have a positive influence on behaviour and contribute toward positive attitudes and gender equality (Das et al., 2012). These interventions have a positive influence on factors associated with gender-based violence. However, some studies found that this influence is behavioural and does not influence patriarchal beliefs (Jewkes et al., 2010; Roy & Das, 2014). Highlighting that intervention on gender-based violence requires redress. This research sought to establish what has been published in academic literature on the influence of masculinities on gender-based violence. The research was addressed through the social constructionist paradigm; it used a mixed methods approach to research. A content-analysis was applied to 100 published academic articles that were sampled from the University of Fort Hare’s online library database using purposive sampling. The research method and design is appropriately suited to the theoretical framework – social constructionism. Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA) software was used to code the quantitative and qualitative data through deductive and inductive means. The quantitative results were interpreted using descriptive statistics. The qualitative findings were analysed using thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006). The research in this sample is mostly qualitative, majority of the research within the sample was published between 2007 and 2018, and male participants are primarily focused on within research on this topic. Majority of the research within the sample was conducted using North American Participants. The findings support previous literature. They indicated that masculine norms, compensatory masculinity, and victimization of gender non-conforming individuals are the most prominent themes within the sample. The results indicated various gaps within the research. There is an indication that different dimensions of masculinity are associated with different forms of gender-based violence. It is recommended that future research focus on the different dimensions of masculinity and their association with various forms of genderbased violence in order to appropriately inform preventative strategies and intervention.Thesis (MSoc) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 202

Protein interactions with drosophila p53

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science. July, 2014Drosophila melanogaster, a key model organism, has cognates of over 70% of human disease genes. This has created opportunities in the development of treatments for life threatening illnesses like cancer. Mutations on the p53 tumour suppressor protein, which is an activator of apoptosis, are common in many cancers. In mammals, p53 interacts with the Retinoblastoma Binding Protein 6 (RBBP6) which enhances the activity of MDM2, the prototypical negative regulator of p53, that is absent in invertebrates. In the absence of MDM2 the Drosophila RBBP6 homolog, SNAMA, through its DWNN Catalytic Module (DCM), is suspected to play an important role in the regulation of p53, probably via the ubiquitin proteasome pathway. Through bioinformatics analyses, and experimental analysis of transcripts, this study has shown the existence of two isoforms of SNAMA named here SNAMA A and SNAMA B for the long and short isoforms, respectively. SNAMA B appears to be expressed after genotoxic stress (DNA damage) in adults as well as during embryonic development. Recombinant protein expression in bacterial and yeast systems as well as HIS-tag chromatography and Western blot analyses were used to investigate interactions with Dmp53. Due to poor expression of recombinant Dmp53 protein in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems and unreliable commercial antibodies, it was impossible to complete interaction studies. Overall, these studies show that the SNAMA isoforms may play important roles during development and in response to DNA damage

The influence of socially constructed masculinities on gender-based violence: A content analysis of published academic literature

vital:58304Gender-based violence is a global epidemic. Masculinities-focused interventions have a positive influence on behaviour and contribute toward positive attitudes and gender equality (Das et al., 2012). These interventions have a positive influence on factors associated with gender-based violence. However, some studies found that this influence is behavioural and does not influence patriarchal beliefs (Jewkes et al., 2010; Roy & Das, 2014). Highlighting that intervention on gender-based violence requires redress. This research sought to establish what has been published in academic literature on the influence of masculinities on gender-based violence. The research was addressed through the social constructionist paradigm; it used a mixed methods approach to research. A content-analysis was applied to 100 published academic articles that were sampled from the University of Fort Hare’s online library database using purposive sampling. The research method and design is appropriately suited to the theoretical framework – social constructionism. Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA) software was used to code the quantitative and qualitative data through deductive and inductive means. The quantitative results were interpreted using descriptive statistics. The qualitative findings were analysed using thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006). The research in this sample is mostly qualitative, majority of the research within the sample was published between 2007 and 2018, and male participants are primarily focused on within research on this topic. Majority of the research within the sample was conducted using North American Participants. The findings support previous literature. They indicated that masculine norms, compensatory masculinity, and victimization of gender non-conforming individuals are the most prominent themes within the sample. The results indicated various gaps within the research. There is an indication that different dimensions of masculinity are associated with different forms of gender-based violence. It is recommended that future research focus on the different dimensions of masculinity and their association with various forms of genderbased violence in order to appropriately inform preventative strategies and intervention.Thesis (MSoc) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 202

Applying Attribution Theory to Perceptions of Maintenance Error

Student Number : 9802206M - MA dissertation - School of Psychology - Faculty of HumanitiesBefore this study took place, the social psychology perspective of Attribution theory was yet to be fully utilised in South African research within the maintenance error landscape. Attributional approaches see the person on the street operating like a scientist, obtaining information from his or her social surroundings and discerning the causes and consequences of ongoing behavioural and environmental events (Harvey et.al.,1976). It is very possible that due to the unique South African socio-political and economic landscape, strongly influenced by Apartheid, new combinations of known and unknown error attributions are at play, that are unique to this landscape and have not yet been studied or uncovered. Thus, a better understanding of the South African landscape, through a study such as this, could have serious cost benefits to maintenance companies, benefits to staff in terms of reduced risk of injury, as well as form the basis of improved policies, procedures and equipment. Twenty-five team leaders and 125 minor maintenance staff at a South African Aircraft Maintenance Company formed the population group from which the sample for this study was drawn. Within each group, 5 individuals were interviewed on a personal basis. Further, for each group, one focus group was carried out consisting of two and four individuals respectively. The individuals who participated in the focus groups were different to those who participated in the interviews. In total 28 percent of team leaders participated in the study and 7 percent of maintenance staff, which calculates to just over 10 percent of minor maintenance employees at the organisation involved. The Qualitative data acquired through this in-depth interview and focus group discussion process, and subsequent transcription was coded and analysed using Thematic Content Analysis. Content analysis is a research technique for making replicable and valid inferences from data to their context (Krippendorf, 1980). The discussion of primary error attributions comparing maintenance staff and team leaders, focussed on the predominant primary error attribution theme and related attributions under the descriptor Organisational Culture which included both the dimensions of employee motivation and managerial culture. Finally, results of secondary error attributions comparing maintenance staff and team leaders raised the discussion around the theme, Tools and Equipment. This research is an exploratory study that brings together the field of attribution theory and maintenance error. Its main strength is that it provides a theoretical framework, upon which is based a methodology that explores the primary and secondary error attributions made by employees for maintenance errors in their work environment. In other words, it is felt that this methodology can be implemented in a range of maintenance environments to unearth the error attributions of staff in that environment. Information such as this is very beneficial to companies and organisations in their planning, strategising, problem solving and general organisational development

The Drosophila retinoblastoma binding protein 6 family member has two isoforms and is potentially involved in embryonic patterning.

The human retinoblastoma binding protein 6 (RBBP6) is implicated in esophageal, lung, hepatocellular and colon cancers. Furthermore, RBBP6 was identified as a strong marker for colon cancer prognosis and as a predisposing factor in familial myeloproliferative neoplasms. Functionally, the mammalian protein interacts with p53 and enhances the activity of Mdm2, the prototypical negative regulator of p53. However, since RBBP6 (known as PACT in mice) exists in multiple isoforms and pact−/− mice exhibit a more severe phenotype than mdm2−/− mutants, it must possess some Mdm2-independent functions. The function of the invertebrate homologue is poorly understood. This is complicated by the absence of the Mdm2 gene in both Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans. We have experimentally identified the promoter region of Snama, the Drosophila homologue, analyzed potential transcription factor binding sites and confirmed the existence of an additional isoform. Using band shift and co-immunoprecipitation assays combined with mass spectrometry, we found evidence that this gene may be regulated by, amongst others, DREF, which regulates hundreds of genes related to cell proliferation. The potential transcription factors for Snama fall into distinct functional groups, including anteroposterior embryonic patterning and nucleic acid metabolism. Significantly, previous work in mice shows that pact−/− induces an anteroposterior phenotype in embryos when rescued by simultaneous deletion of p53. Taken together, these observations indicate the significance of RBBP6 proteins in carcinogenesis and in developmental defects.SP201

High scale perturbative gauge coupling in R-parity conserving SUSY SO(10) with longer proton lifetime

It is well known that in single step breaking of R-parity conserving SUSY SO(10) that needs the Higgs representations $126+\bar 126$ the GUT-gauge coupling violates the perturbative constraint at mass scales few times larger than the GUT scale. Therefore, if the SO(10) gauge coupling is to remain perturbative up the Planck scale(=2x10^{18} GeV), the scale $M_U$ of GUT symmetry breaking is to be bounded from below. The bound depends upon specific Higgs representations used for SO(10) symmetry breaking but, as we find, can not be lower than $1.5x10^{17}$ GeV. In order to obtain such high unification scale we propose a two-step SO(10) breaking through $SU(2)_LXSU(2)_RXU(1)_{B-L}XSU(3)_C(g_{2L} \neq g_{2R})$ intermediate gauge symmetry. We estimate potential threshold and gravitational corrections to the running of gauge couplings and show that they can make the picture of perturbative GUT- gauge coupling running consistent at least up to the Planck scale. We also show that when $SO(10) \to G_{2213}$ by $210 + 54$, gravitational corrections alone with negligible threshold effects may guarantee such perturbative gauge coupling. The lifetime of the proton is found to increase by nearly 6 orders over the current experimental limit for $p \to e^+\pi^0$. For the proton decay mediated by dim.5 operator a wide range of lifetimes is possible extending from the current experimental limit up to values 2-3 orders longer.Comment: 11 pages epjc LaTex as per specifications of European Physical Journal

The Medellín Experience

Once home to Colombia\u27s mightiest drug lords, Medellín, the country\u27s second largest metropolis was considered only a few years ago one of the most dangerous places in the world – the city of eternal violence. Since 2003, the Medellín community has experienced a civic transformation: increased per capita income, crime rates comparable to most U.S. cities, and rising school performance. Fundamentally, Medellín now offers a higher quality of life to each of its residents. To gain a more engaging perspective of the Medellín wonder and its relevance as a model for the Stockton and San Joaquin County community, I conducted 18 interviews with various community members and officials in public safety, education, NGO’s, and business. Furthermore, I actually resided in three different parts of the city – in wealthy, middle-class, and low-income neighborhoods.Medellín\u27s success stems from a balance of community resource leveraging. We seek to understand the role of policing and social interventions as well as the philosophy embedded in their conceptualization

Müslüman Azınlık Toplulukları Vakıflarının Büyümesi ve Gelişimi - Güney Amerika

[No Abstract Available