Spin Analysis of Supersymmetric Particles

The spin of supersymmetric particles can be determined at $e^+e^-$ colliders unambiguously. This is demonstrated for a characteristic set of non-colored supersymmetric particles -- smuons, selectrons, and charginos/neutralinos. The analysis is based on the threshold behavior of the excitation curves for pair production in $e^+e^-$ collisions, the angular distribution in the production process and decay angular distributions. In the first step we present the observables in the helicity formalism for the supersymmetric particles. Subsequently we confront the results with corresponding analyses of Kaluza-Klein particles in theories of universal extra space dimensions which behave distinctly different from supersymmetric theories. It is shown in the third step that a set of observables can be designed which signal the spin of supersymmetric particles unambiguously without any model assumptions. Finally in the fourth step it is demonstrated that the determination of the spin of supersymmetric particles can be performed experimentally in practice at an $e^+e^-$ collider.Comment: 39 pages, 14 figure

The CAT Imaging Telescope for Very-High-Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy

The CAT (Cherenkov Array at Themis) imaging telescope, equipped with a very-high-definition camera (546 fast phototubes with 0.12 degrees spacing surrounded by 54 larger tubes in two guard rings) started operation in Autumn 1996 on the site of the former solar plant Themis (France). Using the atmospheric Cherenkov technique, it detects and identifies very high energy gamma-rays in the range 250 GeV to a few tens of TeV. The instrument, which has detected three sources (Crab nebula, Mrk 421 and Mrk 501), is described in detail.Comment: 24 pages, 15 figures. submitted to Elsevier Preprin

Epidemiologic situation of bovine brucellosis in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil

Caracterizou-se a brucelose bovina em Mato Grosso por meio de um estudo transversal realizado em 2003 para auxiliar na implementação do Programa Nacional de Controle e Erradicação da Brucelose e Tuberculose. No Estado, estratificado em quatro circuitos pecuários, foram amostrados 13.684 animais, provenientes de 1.152 rebanhos. O protocolo de testes utilizado foi o da triagem com o teste do antígeno acidificado tamponado e os soros reagentes foram testados pelo 2-mercaptoetanol (ME) e concomitantemente retestados pelo teste de Rosa Bengala para resultado conclusivo. As prevalências de focos e de animais infectados foram: 41,2% [38,0-44,4%] e 10,2% [7,4-13,1%], respectivamente. Nos circuitos produtivos, as prevalências de focos foram 36,9% [29,2-45,2%], 27,2% [22,8-32,1%], 40,4% [38,8-46,2%] e 50,3% [44,5-56,1%]; e as prevalências de animais 7,9% [3,0-12,9%], 4,1% [2,8-5,4%], 8,1% [5,2-11,1%] e 15,3% [9,2-21,3%], respectivamente, para os circuitos 1, 2, 3 e 4. Os fatores de risco (odds ratio, OR) associados à condição de foco no Estado foram: exploração de gado de corte (OR= 1,8 [1,2-2,5]), exploração mista (OR=1,8 [1,2-2,7]), número de fêmeas no rebanho de 11 a 50 (OR=4,8 [1,1-20,8]), número de fêmeas no rebanho acima de 51 (OR=6,8 [1,6-29,0]), ocorrência de aborto (OR=1,7 [1,3-2,2]). A brucelose está homogeneamente distribuída no Estado, o que permite uniformidade de medidas sanitárias. Adicionalmente, sugere-se a intensificação da vacinação de fêmeas para todo o Estado. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTA study to characterize bovine brucellosis in the State of Mato Grosso was carried out in 2003 in order to support the implementation of the National Program for the Control and Eradication of Bovine Brucellosis. The State was divided into four productive regions, and 13,684 bovines from 1,152 herds were sampled. The serum samples were screened for antibodies to Brucella spp. by the Rose-Bengal test (RBT) and all RBT-positive sera were re-tested by the 2-mercaptoethanol test (2-ME), and again by RBT for confirmation. The prevalence of infected herds and animals in the State of Mato Grosso were 41.2% [38.0-44.4%] and 10.2% [7.4-13.1%], respectively. In the productive regions, the prevalence of infected herds were 36.9% [29.2-45.2%], 27.2% [22.8-32.1%], 40.4% [38.8-46.2%], and 50.3% [44.5-56.1%], respectively; and the prevalence of infected animals were 7.9% [3.0-12.9%], 4.1% [2.8-5.4%], 8.1% [5.2-11.1%], and 15.3% [9.2-21.3%], respectively, for regions 1, 2, 3, and 4. The risk factors (odds ratio, OR) associated with the presence of the infection in the State were: beef cattle farming (OR=1.8 [1.2-2.5]), mixed (beef and dairy) cattle farming (OR=1.8 [1.2-2.7]), farms with 11 to 50 females (OR=4.8 [1.1-20.8]), farms with more than 51 females (OR=6.8 [1.6-29.0]), and occurrence of abortion (OR=1.7 [1.3-2.2]). Given that brucellosis is homogeneously distributed in the State, uniform sanitary measures might be adopted. As a homogeneous additional measure for the State, the intensification of female vaccination is suggested

Evaluation of turbulent dissipation rate retrievals from Doppler Cloud Radar

Turbulent dissipation rate retrievals from cloud radar Doppler velocity measurements are evaluated using independent, in situ observations in Arctic stratocumulus clouds. In situ validation data sets of dissipation rate are derived using sonic anemometer measurements from a tethered balloon and high frequency pressure variation observations from a research aircraft, both flown in proximity to stationary, ground-based radars. Modest biases are found among the data sets in particularly low- or high-turbulence regimes, but in general the radar-retrieved values correspond well with the in situ measurements. Root mean square differences are typically a factor of 4-6 relative to any given magnitude of dissipation rate. These differences are no larger than those found when comparing dissipation rates computed from tetheredballoon and meteorological tower-mounted sonic anemometer measurements made at spatial distances of a few hundred meters. Temporal lag analyses suggest that approximately half of the observed differences are due to spatial sampling considerations, such that the anticipated radar-based retrieval uncertainty is on the order of a factor of 2-3. Moreover, radar retrievals are clearly able to capture the vertical dissipation rate structure observed by the in situ sensors, while offering substantially more information on the time variability of turbulence profiles. Together these evaluations indicate that radar-based retrievals can, at a minimum, be used to determine the vertical structure of turbulence in Arctic stratocumulus clouds

A Real Space Description of Field Induced Melting in the Charge Ordered Manganites: II. the Disordered Case

We study the effect of A site disorder on magnetic field induced melting of charge order (CO) in half doped manganites using a Monte-Carlo technique. Strong A-site disorder destroys CO even without an applied field. At moderate disorder, the zero field CO state survives but has several intriguing features in its field response. Our spatially resolved results track the broadening of the field melting transition due to disorder and explain the unusual dependence of the melting scales on bandwidth and disorder. In combination with our companion paper on field melting of charge order in clean systems we provide an unified understanding of CO melting across all half doped manganites.Comment: 9 pages, pdflatex, 10 embedded png fig

Uma análise semiótica e cognitiva na aprendizagem de áreas de triângulos e quadriláteros

Este artigo analisa mudanças de representação e de registro no cálculo de áreas de triângulos e quadriláteros. As atividades descritas foram realizadas por alunos do quinto e do sexto ano do ensino fundamental de uma escola privada de Campo Grande, MS. Este estudo fundamenta-se na teoria de registros de representação semiótica, de Duval, e em dois de seus elementos teóricos que tratam dos olhares e apreensões para a aprendizagem em geometria. Adotou-se como metodologia a engenharia didática, de Artigue. Constatou-se que solucionar as atividades por meio da exploração heurística das figuras, da desconstrução dimensional e do olhar não icônico, transitando em diferentes representações, permitiu aprendizagens sobre o cálculo de áreas. A diversidade de registros e estratégias nesses cálculos, nessas perspectivas, favoreceu soluções distintas, contribuindo para a superação de dificuldades e o desenvolvimento de autonomia em geometria, oportunizando um novo modo de aprender, de raciocinar e principalmente de olhar para uma figura geométrica

Near-intrinsic energy resolution for 30-662 keV gamma rays in a high pressure xenon electroluminescent TPC

We present the design, data and results from the NEXT prototype for Double Beta and Dark Matter (NEXT-DBDM) detector, a high-pressure gaseous natural xenon electroluminescent time projection chamber (TPC) that was built at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. It is a prototype of the planned NEXT-100 136Xe neutrino-less double beta decay (0νββ) experiment with the main objectives of demonstrating near-intrinsic energy resolution at energies up to 662 keV and of optimizing the NEXT-100 detector design and operating parameters. Energy resolutions of ∼1% FWHM for 662 keV gamma rays were obtained at 10 and 15 atm and ∼5% FWHM for 30 keV fluorescence xenon X-rays. These results demonstrate that 0.5% FWHM resolutions for the 2,459 keV hypothetical neutrino-less double beta decay peak are realizable. This energy resolution is a factor 7 to 20 better than that of the current leading 0νββ experiments using liquid xenon and thus represents a significant advancement. We present also first results from a track imaging system consisting of 64 silicon photo-multipliers recently installed in NEXT-DBDM that, along with the excellent energy resolution, demonstrates the key functionalities required for the NEXT-100 0νββ search

A study towards drug discovery for the management of type 2 diabetes: Mellitus through inhibition of the carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes α-amylase and α-glucosidase by chalcone derivatives

The inhibition of carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes, α-amylase and α-glucosidase, is one of the major therapeutic strategies for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Chalcones have been recognized for their multiple biological activities, including antidiabetic properties, through unclear mechanisms. In the present work, a panel of chalcones bearing hydroxy, methoxy, methyl, nitro, chloro, fluoro and bromo substituents were evaluated against α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities, most of them for the first time. The results showed that the substitution patterns and the type of substituents of chalcones influence their inhibitory activity. The presence of hydroxy groups at C-2’- and C-4’ of the A ring and at C-3 and C-4 of the B ring favors the intended effect. Chalcones holding nitro groups and chloro substituents, together with a hydroxy group in the chalcone scaffold, showed strong inhibition of the α-glucosidase activity. The present study provides related scaffolds that may serve as the basis for the design and synthesis of new structures in order to obtain the ideal antidiabetic chalcone.This work received financial support from the European Union (FEDER funds POCI/01/0145/FEDER/007265) and National Funds (FCT/MEC, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Educação e Ciência) under the Partnership Agreement PT2020 UID/QUI/50006/2013, and “Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização” (COMPETE) (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029241). Thanks are due to University of Aveiro, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, FCT/ MEC for the financial support to the QOPNA (FCT UID/QUI/ 00062/2013) and CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013) research Units through national funds and where applicable co-financed by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement, and also to the Portuguese NMR Network. Sónia Rocha acknowledges FCT the financial support for the PhD grant (PD/BD/ 145169/2019), in the ambit of “QREN – POPH – Tipologia 4.1 – Formação Avançada”, co-sponsored by Fundo Social Europeu (FSE) and by national funds of Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (MCTES).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Kinin B1 receptor controls maternal adiponectin levels and influences offspring weight gain

Given the importance of the kinin B1 receptor in insulin and leptin hormonal regulation, which in turn is crucial in maternal adaptations to ensure nutrient supply to the fetus, we investigated the role of this receptor in maternal metabolism and fetoplacental development. Wild-type and kinin B1 receptor-deficient (B1KO) female mice were mated with male mice of the opposite genotype. Consequently, the entire litter was heterozygous for kinin B1 receptor, ensuring that there would be no influence of offspring genotype on the maternal phenotype. Maternal kinin B1 receptor blockade reduces adiponectin secretion by adipose tissue ex vivo, consistent with lower adiponectin levels in pregnant B1KO mice. Furthermore, fasting insulinemia also increased, which was associated with placental insulin resistance, reduced placental glycogen accumulation, and heavier offspring. Therefore, we propose the combination of chronic hyperinsulinemia and reduced adiponectin secretion in B1KO female mice create a maternal obesogenic environment that results in heavier pups