6,824 research outputs found
Utility of Lymph Node Aspiration in the Diagnosis of Visceral Leishmaniasis in Sudan.
We evaluated lymph node aspiration (LNA) as a simple diagnostic procedure for visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Lymph node aspiration was compared with the direct agglutination test (DAT) using a diagnostic titer > or = 1:6,400 in 7,880 suspected VL patients in eastern Sudan. Compared with DAT, LNA had a sensitivity of 65.1% (95% confidence interval = 63.5-66.6%). Parasite density in LNA correlated strongly with DAT titers (P < 0.0001), and low parasite density accounted for 78.1% of positive LNA results with DAT titers < 1:6,400 (n = 782). Risk factors predictive of a positive LNA result were an age of 1-29 years, male sex, a hemoglobin level < 10.0 g/dL, a DAT titer > or = 1:800, and a location with a higher prevalence of VL. Lymph node and splenic aspirations were similarly accurate as tests of cure after treatment of 50 VL patients in southern Sudan. Pre-treatment LNA results were negative in 20 cases of severe post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis
Unified Universal Seesaw Models
A set of Grand Unified Theories based upon the gauge groups SU(5)_\L \times
SU(5)_\R, SO(10)_\L \times SO(10)_\R and SU(4)_\C \times SU(4)_\L \times
SU(4)_\R is explored. Several novel features distinguish these theories from
the well-known , and SU(4)_\C \times SU(2)_\L \times SU(2)_\R
models which they generalize. Firstly, Standard Model quarks and leptons are
accompanied by and mix with heavy SU(2)_\L \times SU(2)_\R singlet partners.
The resulting fermion mass matrices are seesaw in form. Discrete parity
symmetries render the determinants of these mass matrices real and eliminate CP
violating gauge terms. The unified seesaw models consequently provide a
possible resolution to the strong CP problem. Secondly, \sinsq at the
unification scale is numerically smaller than the experimentally measured
scale value. The weak angle must therefore increase as it evolves down in
energy. Finally, proton decay is suppressed by small seesaw mixing factors in
all these theories.Comment: 22 pages with 2 figures not included but available upon request,
CALT-68-185
Reconstructing Seesaws
We explore some aspects of "reconstructing" the heavy singlet sector of
supersymmetric type I seesaw models, for two, three or four singlets. We work
in the limit where one light neutrino is massless. In an ideal world, where
selected coefficients of the TeV-scale effective Lagrangian could be measured
with arbitrary accuracy, the two-singlet case can be reconstructed, two three
or more singlets can be differentiated, and an inverse seesaw with four
singlets can be reconstructed. In a more realistic world, we estimate \ell_\a
\to \ell_\b \gamma expectations with a "Minimal-Flavour-Violation-like"
ansatz, which gives a relation between ratios of the three branching ratios.
The two singlet model predicts a discrete set of ratios.Comment: 14 page
Universal Seesaw Mass Matrix Model with an S_3 Symmetry
Stimulated by the phenomenological success of the universal seesaw mass
matrix model, where the mass terms for quarks and leptons f_i (i=1,2,3) and
hypothetical super-heavy fermions F_i are given by \bar{f}_L m_L F_R +\bar{F}_L
m_R f_R + \bar{F}_L M_F F_R + h.c. and the form of M_F is democratic on the
bases on which m_L and m_R are diagonal, the following model is discussed: The
mass terms M_F are invariant under the permutation symmetry S_3, and the mass
terms m_L and m_R are generated by breaking the S_3 symmetry spontaneously. The
model leads to an interesting relation for the charged lepton masses.Comment: 8 pages + 1 table, latex, no figures, references adde
A Unified Description of Quark and Lepton Mass Matrices in a Universal Seesaw Model
In the democratic universal seesaw model, the mass matrices are given by
\bar{f}_L m_L F_R + \bar{F}_L m_R f_R + \bar{F}_L M_F F_R (f: quarks and
leptons; F: hypothetical heavy fermions), m_L and m_R are universal for up- and
down-fermions, and M_F has a structure ({\bf 1}+ b_f X) (b_f is a
flavour-dependent parameter, and X is a democratic matrix). The model can
successfully explain the quark masses and CKM mixing parameters in terms of the
charged lepton masses by adjusting only one parameter, b_f. However, so far,
the model has not been able to give the observed bimaximal mixing for the
neutrino sector. In the present paper, we consider that M_F in the quark
sectors are still "fully" democratic, while M_F in the lepton sectors are
partially democratic. Then, the revised model can reasonably give a nearly
bimaximal mixing without spoiling the previous success in the quark sectors.Comment: 7 pages, no figur
Deposition And Drying Dynamics Of Liquid Crystal Droplets
Drop drying and deposition phenomena reveal a rich interplay of fundamental science and engineering, give rise to fascinating everyday effects (coffee rings), and influence technologies ranging from printing to genotyping. Here we investigate evaporation dynamics, morphology, and deposition patterns of drying lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal droplets. These drops differ from typical evaporating colloidal drops primarily due to their concentration-dependent isotropic, nematic, and columnar phases. Phase separation occurs during evaporation, and in the process creates surface tension gradients and significant density and viscosity variation within the droplet. As a result, the drying multiphase drops exhibit different convective currents, drop morphologies, and deposition patterns (coffee-rings)
The see-saw mechanism: neutrino mixing, leptogenesis and lepton flavor violation
The see-saw mechanism to generate small neutrino masses is reviewed. After
summarizing our current knowledge about the low energy neutrino mass matrix we
consider reconstructing the see-saw mechanism. Low energy neutrino physics is
not sufficient to reconstruct see-saw, a feature which we refer to as ``see-saw
degeneracy''. Indirect tests of see-saw are leptogenesis and lepton flavor
violation in supersymmetric scenarios, which together with neutrino mass and
mixing define the framework of see-saw phenomenology. Several examples are
given, both phenomenological and GUT-related. Variants of the see-saw mechanism
like the type II or triplet see-saw are also discussed. In particular, we
compare many general aspects regarding the dependence of LFV on low energy
neutrino parameters in the extreme cases of a dominating conventional see-saw
term or a dominating triplet term. For instance, the absence of mu -> e gamma
or tau -> e gamma in the pure triplet case means that CP is conserved in
neutrino oscillations. Scanning models, we also find that among the decays mu
-> e gamma, tau -> e gamma and tau -> mu gamma the latter one has the largest
branching ratio in (i) SO(10) type I see-saw models and in (ii) scenarios in
which the triplet term dominates in the neutrino mass matrix.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures. Expanded version of talk given at 10th Workshop
In High Energy Physics Phenomenology (WHEPP 10), January 2008, Chennai,
India. Typos corrected, comments and references adde
Bremsstrahlung simulation in K to pi l^pm nu_l (gamma) decays
In physics simulation chains, the PHOTOS Monte Carlo program is often used to
simulate QED effects in decays of intermediate particles and resonances. The
program is based on an exact multiphoton phase space. In general, the matrix
element is obtained from iterations of a universal kernel and approximations
are involved. To evaluate the program precision, it is necessary to formulate
and implement within the generator the exact matrix element, which depends on
the decay channel. Then, all terms necessary for non-leading logarithms are
taken into account.
In the present letter we focus on the decay K to pi l^pm nu_l and tests of
the PHOTOS Monte Carlo program. We conclude a 0.2% relative precision in the
implementation of the hard photon matrix element into the emission kernel,
including the case where approximations are used.Comment: 1+20 pages, 8 figure
Macroscopic Quantum Tunneling of a Fluxon in a Long Josephson Junction
Macroscopic quantum tunneling (MQT) for a single fluxon moving along a long
Josephson junction is studied theoretically. To introduce a fluxon-pinning
force, we consider inhomogeneities made by modifying thickness of an insulating
layer locally. Two different situations are studied: one is the quantum
tunneling from a metastable state caused by a single inhomogeneity, and the
other is the quantum tunneling in a two-state system made by two
inhomogeneities. In the quantum tunneling from a metastable state, the decay
rate is estimated within the WKB approximation. Dissipation effects on a fluxon
dynamics are taken into account by the Caldeira-Leggett theory. We propose a
device to observe quantum tunneling of a fluxon experimentally. Required
experimental resolutions to observe MQT of a fluxon seem attainable within the
presently available micro-fabrication technique. For the two-state system, we
study quantum resonance between two stable states, i.e., macroscopic quantum
coherence (MQC). From the estimate for dissipation coefficients due to
quasiparticle tunneling, the observation of MQC appears to be possible within
the Caldeira-Leggett theory.Comment: 30 pages LaTeX including 11 PS figures, using jpsj.sty. To be
published on J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. Overestimates for damping amplitude is
correcte
Tribimaximal Neutrino Mixing and a Relation Between Neutrino- and Charged Lepton-Mass Spectra
Brannen has recently pointed out that the observed charged lepton masses
satisfy the relation m_e +m_\mu +m_\tau = {2/3}
(\sqrt{m_e}+\sqrt{m_\mu}+\sqrt{m_\tau})^2, while the observed neutrino masses
satisfy the relation m_{\nu 1} +m_{\nu 2} +m_{\nu 3} = {2/3} (-\sqrt{m_{\nu
1}}+\sqrt{m_{\nu 2}}+\sqrt{m_{\nu 3}})^2. It is discussed what neutrino Yukawa
interaction form is favorable if we take the fact pointed out by Brannen
seriously.Comment: 13 pages, presentation modifie
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