Charge and CP symmetry breaking in two Higgs doublet models

We show that, for the most generic model with two Higgs doublets possessing a minimum that preserves the $U(1)_{em}$ symmetry, charge breaking (CB) cannot occur. If CB does not occur, the potential could have two different minima, and there is in principle no general argument to show which one is the deepest. The depth of the potential at a stationary point that breaks CB or CP, relative to the $U(1)_{em}$ preserving minimum, is proportional to the squared mass of the charged or pseudoscalar Higgs, respectively

Extra-dimensional cosmology with domain-wall branes

We show how to define a consistent braneworld cosmology in a model in which the brane is constructed as a field-theoretic domain wall of finite thickness. The Friedmann, Robertson-Walker metric is recovered in the region of the brane, but, remarkably, with scale factor that depends on particle energy and on particle species, constituting a breakdown of the weak equivalence principle on sufficiently small scales. This unusual effect comes from the extended nature of particles confined to a domain-wall brane, and the fact that they feel an "average" of the bulk spacetime. We demonstrate how to recover the standard results of brane cosmology in the infinitely-thin brane limit, and comment on how our results have the potential to place bounds on parameters such as the thickness of domain-wall braneworlds.Comment: 23 pages; v2 has additional references and reflects journal versio

Perturbed angular correlations for Gd in gadolinium: in-beam comparisons of relative magnetizations

Perturbed angular correlations were measured for Gd ions implanted into gadolinium foils following Coulomb excitation with 40 MeV O-16 beams. A technique for measuring the relative magnetizations of ferromagnetic gadolinium hosts under in-beam conditions is described and discussed. The combined electric-quadrupole and magnetic-dipole interaction is evaluated. The effect of nuclei implanted onto damaged or non-substitutional sites is assessed, as is the effect of misalignment between the internal hyperfine field and the external polarizing field. Thermal effects due to beam heating are discussed.Comment: 37 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in NIM

Use of direct oral anticoagulants in patients with obesity for treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolism: updated communication from the ISTH SSC Subcommittee on Control of Anticoagulation

Although direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have widespread first-line use for treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE), uncertainty remains regarding their efficacy and safety in patients with obesity. We reviewed available data for use of DOACs for VTE treatment and prevention in patients with obesity, including phase 3, phase 4, meta-analyses, and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics studies. In addition, we reviewed available data regarding DOACs in bariatric surgery. We provide updated guidance recommendations on using DOACs in patients with obesity for treatment and prevention of VTE, as well as following bariatric surgery.Thrombosis and Hemostasi

Activin receptor-like kinase receptors ALK5 and ALK1 are both required for TGFβ-induced chondrogenic differentiation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Introduction Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are promising for cartilage regeneration because BMSCs can differentiate into cartilage tissue-producing chondrocytes. Transforming Growth Factor beta; (TGFbeta;) is crucial for inducing chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs and is known to signal via Activin receptor-Like Kinase (ALK) receptors ALK5 and ALK1. Since the specific role of these two TGFbeta; receptors in chondrogenesis is unknown, we investigated whether ALK5 and ALK1 are expressed in BMSCs and whether both receptors are required for chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Materials & Methods ALK5 and ALK1 gene expression in human BMSCs was determined with RT-qPCR. To induce chondrogenesis, human BMSCs were pellet-cultured in serum-free chondrogenic medium containing TGFβ1. Chondrogenesis was evaluated by aggrecan and collagen type IIα1 RT-qPCR analysis, and histological stainings of proteoglycans and collagen type II. To overexpress constitutively active (ca) receptors, BMSCs were transduced either with caALK5 or caALK1. Expression of ALK5 and ALK1 was downregulated by transducing BMSCs with shRNA against ALK5 or ALK1. Results ALK5 and ALK1 were expressed in in vitro-expanded as well as in pellet-cultured BMSCs from five donors, but mRNA levels of both TGFbeta; receptors did not clearly associate with chondrogenic induction. TGFbeta; increased ALK5 and decreased ALK1 gene expression in chondrogenically differentiating BMSC pellets. Neither caALK5 nor caALK1 overexpression induced cartilage matrix formation as efficient as that induced by TGFbeta;. Moreover, short hairpin-mediated downregulation of either ALK5 or ALK1 resulted in a strong inhibition of TGFbeta;-induced chondrogenesis. Conclusion ALK5 as well as ALK1 are required for TGFbeta;-induced chondrogenic differentiation of BMSCs, and TGFbeta; not only directly induces chondrogenesis, but also modulates ALK5 and ALK1 receptor signaling in BMSCs. These results imply that optimizing cartilage formation by mesenchymal stem cells will depend on activation of both receptors

Spherical and deformed isomers in Pb-188

Several isomers in Pb-188 have been identified using pulsed beams, the recoil-shadow technique, and the Er-164(Si-28,4n) Pb-188 reaction. Two of the isomers feed the 10(+) state of the yrast sequence and are suggested to be the 11(-) and 12(+) states from oblate and spherical configurations, respectively. The 12(+) isomer is fed weakly by another isomer with a relatively long lifetime, but it has not been characterized. A fourth isomer with a lifetime of about 1.2 mu s leads via a complicated path to the 8(+) and lower spin yrast states. It is a candidate for the K-pi = 8(-), two-quasineutron state which occurs systematically in N = 106 prolate-deformed nuclei, supporting the assumption that the intruding collective well is prolate

Spherical and deformed structures in Pb189

γ-ray spectroscopy of high-spin states of the neutron-deficient nucleus Pb189 has been conducted with the Gd158(Ar36,5n) and Er164(Si29,4n) reactions. With the first of these, detection of evaporation residues and mass gating were used to unambiguously assign a number of prompt γ-ray transitions to Pb189. With the second reaction and a pulsed beam, an isomer with a mean life of 32 μs was found. Although inconclusive, the available evidence favors identification of the isomer with the 332+ state of the ν(i13/2)-3 configuration. The levels observed below the isomer can be identified with states involving three different structures: the neutron (i13/2)-3 multiplet in the spherical well; a prolate-deformed band involving mixed i13/2 neutron orbitals; and a state with the oblate π(2p-2h)0+ν(i13/ 2)-1 configuration. The evidence for structures associated with different shapes is supported by the observation of E0 components in some of the Jπ→Jπ transitions linking them

Supernova Bounds on Majoron-emitting decays of light neutrinos

Neutrino masses arising from the spontaneous violation of ungauged lepton-number are accompanied by a physical Goldstone boson, generically called Majoron. In the high-density supernova medium the effects of Majoron-emitting neutrino decays are important even if they are suppressed in vacuo by small neutrino masses and/or small off-diagonal couplings. We reconsider the influence of these decays on the neutrino signal of supernovae in the light of recent Super-Kamiokande data on solar and atmospheric neutrinos. We find that majoron-neutrino coupling constants in the range 3\times 10^{-7}\lsim g\lsim 2\times 10^{-5} or g \gsim 3 \times 10^{-4} are excluded by the observation of SN1987A. Then we discuss the potential of Superkamiokande and the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory to detect majoron neutrino interactions in the case of a future galactic supernova. We find that these experiments could probe majoron neutrino interactions with improved sensitivity.Comment: 28 pages, 5 figure