177 research outputs found
Seesaw mechanism, baryon asymmetry and neutrinoless double beta decay
A simplified but very instructive analysis of the seesaw mechanism is here
performed. Assuming a nearly diagonal Dirac neutrino mass matrix, we study the
forms of the Majorana mass matrix of right-handed neutrinos, which reproduce
the effective mass matrix of left-handed neutrinos. As a further step, the
important effect of a non diagonal Dirac neutrino mass matrix is explored. The
corresponding implications for the baryogenesis via leptogenesis and for the
neutrinoless double beta decay are reviewed. We propose two distinct models
where the baryon asymmetry is enhanced.Comment: 21 pages, RevTex. Revise
Leptogenesis and neutrino parameters
We calculate the baryonic asymmetry of the universe in the
baryogenesis-via-leptogenesis framework, assuming first a quark-lepton symmetry
and then a charged-neutral lepton symmetry. We match the results with the
experimentally favoured range. In the first case all the oscillation solutions
to the solar neutrino problem, except the large mixing matter solution, can
lead to the allowed range, but with fine tuning of the parameters. In the
second case the general result is quite similar. Some related theoretical hints
are discussed.Comment: RevTex, 21 pages with 8 figure
Model for fermion mass matrices and the origin of quark-lepton symmetry
Several phenomenological features of fermion masses and mixings can be
accounted for by a simple model for fermion mass matrices, which suggests an
underlying U(2) horizontal symmetry. In this context, it is also proposed how
an approximate quark-lepton symmetry can be achieved without unified gauge
theories.Comment: 12 pages, RevTex. Minor changes, some references adde
Probing the seesaw mechanism with neutrino data and leptogenesis
In the framework of the seesaw mechanism with three heavy right-handed
Majorana neutrinos and no Higgs triplets we carry out a systematic study of the
structure of the right-handed neutrino sector. Using the current low-energy
neutrino data as an input and assuming hierarchical Dirac-type neutrino masses
, we calculate the masses and the mixing of the heavy neutrinos.
We confront the inferred properties of these neutrinos with the constraints
coming from the requirement of a successful baryogenesis via leptogenesis. In
the generic case the masses of the right-handed neutrinos are highly
hierarchical: ; the lightest mass is GeV and the generated baryon-to-photon ratio is
much smaller than the observed value. We find the special cases which
correspond to the level crossing points, with maximal mixing between two
quasi-degenerate right-handed neutrinos. Two level crossing conditions are
obtained: (1-2 crossing) and (2-3
crossing), where and are respectively the 11-entry and the
12-subdeterminant of the light neutrino mass matrix in the basis where the
neutrino Yukawa couplings are diagonal. We show that sufficient lepton
asymmetry can be produced only in the 1-2 crossing where GeV, GeV and .Comment: 30 pages, 2 eps figures, JHEP3.cls, typos corrected, note (and
references) added on non-thermal leptogenesi
Thermal leptogenesis in a model with mass varying neutrinos
In this paper we consider the possibility of neutrino mass varying during the
evolution of the Universe and study its implications on leptogenesis.
Specifically, we take the minimal seesaw model of neutrino masses and introduce
a coupling between the right-handed neutrinos and the dark energy scalar field,
the Quintessence. In our model, the right-handed neutrino masses change as the
Quintessence scalar evolves. We then examine in detail the parameter space of
this model allowed by the observed baryon number asymmetry. Our results show
that it is possible to lower the reheating temperature in this scenario in
comparison with the case that the neutrino masses are unchanged, which helps
solve the gravitino problem. Furthermore, a degenerate neutrino mass patten
with larger than the upper limit given in the minimal leptogenesis
scenario is permitted.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures, version to appear in PR
Leptogenesis and Neutrino Oscillations Within A Predictive G(224)/SO(10)-Framework
A framework based on an effective symmetry that is either G(224)= SU(2)_L x
SU(2)_R xSU(4)^c or SO(10) has been proposed (a few years ago) that
successfully describes the masses and mixings of all fermions including
neutrinos, with seven predictions, in good accord with the data. Baryogenesis
via leptogenesis is considered within this framework by allowing for natural
phases (~ 1/20-1/2) in the entries of the Dirac and Majorana mass-matrices. It
is shown that the framework leads quite naturally, for both thermal as well as
non-thermal leptogenesis, to the desired magnitude for the baryon asymmetry.
This result is obtained in full accord with the observed features of the
atmospheric and solar neutrino oscillations, as well as with those of the quark
and charged lepton masses and mixings, and the gravitino-constraint. Hereby one
obtains a unified description of fermion masses, neutrino oscillations and
baryogenesis (via leptogenesis) within a single predictive framework.Comment: Efficiency factor updated, some clarifications and new references
added. 19 page
Genetic overlap between diagnostic subtypes of ischemic stroke
Background and Purpose: Despite moderate heritability, the phenotypic heterogeneity of ischemic stroke has hampered gene discovery, motivating analyses of diagnostic subtypes with reduced sample sizes. We assessed evidence for a shared genetic basis among the 3 major subtypes: large artery atherosclerosis (LAA), cardioembolism, and small vessel disease (SVD), to inform potential cross-subtype analyses. Methods: Analyses used genome-wide summary data for 12 389 ischemic stroke cases (including 2167 LAA, 2405 cardioembolism, and 1854 SVD) and 62 004 controls from the Metastroke consortium. For 4561 cases and 7094 controls, individual-level genotype data were also available. Genetic correlations between subtypes were estimated using linear mixed models and polygenic profile scores. Meta-analysis of a combined LAA-SVD phenotype (4021 cases and 51 976 controls) was performed to identify shared risk alleles. Results: High genetic correlation was identified between LAA and SVD using linear mixed models (rg=0.96, SE=0.47, P=9×10-4) and profile scores (rg=0.72; 95% confid
Toward a 21st-century health care system: Recommendations for health care reform
The coverage, cost, and quality problems of the U.S. health care system are evident. Sustainable health care reform must go beyond financing expanded access to care to substantially changing the organization and delivery of care. The FRESH-Thinking Project (www.fresh-thinking.org) held a series of workshops during which physicians, health policy experts, health insurance executives, business leaders, hospital administrators, economists, and others who represent diverse perspectives came together. This group agreed that the following 8 recommendations are fundamental to successful reform: 1. Replace the current fee-for-service payment system with a payment system that encourages and rewards innovation in the efficient delivery of quality care. The new payment system should invest in the development of outcome measures to guide payment. 2. Establish a securely funded, independent agency to sponsor and evaluate research on the comparative effectiveness of drugs, devices, and other medical interventions. 3. Simplify and rationalize federal and state laws and regulations to facilitate organizational innovation, support care coordination, and streamline financial and administrative functions. 4. Develop a health information technology infrastructure with national standards of interoperability to promote data exchange. 5. Create a national health database with the participation of all payers, delivery systems, and others who own health care data. Agree on methods to make de-identified information from this database on clinical interventions, patient outcomes, and costs available to researchers. 6. Identify revenue sources, including a cap on the tax exclusion of employer-based health insurance, to subsidize health care coverage with the goal of insuring all Americans. 7. Create state or regional insurance exchanges to pool risk, so that Americans without access to employer-based or other group insurance could obtain a standard benefits package through these exchanges. Employers should also be allowed to participate in these exchanges for their employees' coverage. 8. Create a health coverage board with broad stakeholder representation to determine and periodically update the affordable standard benefit package available through state or regional insurance exchanges
Serum magnesium and calcium levels in relation to ischemic stroke : Mendelian randomization study
ObjectiveTo determine whether serum magnesium and calcium concentrations are causally associated with ischemic stroke or any of its subtypes using the mendelian randomization approach.MethodsAnalyses were conducted using summary statistics data for 13 single-nucleotide polymorphisms robustly associated with serum magnesium (n = 6) or serum calcium (n = 7) concentrations. The corresponding data for ischemic stroke were obtained from the MEGASTROKE consortium (34,217 cases and 404,630 noncases).ResultsIn standard mendelian randomization analysis, the odds ratios for each 0.1 mmol/L (about 1 SD) increase in genetically predicted serum magnesium concentrations were 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.69-0.89; p = 1.3
7 10-4) for all ischemic stroke, 0.63 (95% CI 0.50-0.80; p = 1.6
7 10-4) for cardioembolic stroke, and 0.60 (95% CI 0.44-0.82; p = 0.001) for large artery stroke; there was no association with small vessel stroke (odds ratio 0.90, 95% CI 0.67-1.20; p = 0.46). Only the association with cardioembolic stroke was robust in sensitivity analyses. There was no association of genetically predicted serum calcium concentrations with all ischemic stroke (per 0.5 mg/dL [about 1 SD] increase in serum calcium: odds ratio 1.03, 95% CI 0.88-1.21) or with any subtype.ConclusionsThis study found that genetically higher serum magnesium concentrations are associated with a reduced risk of cardioembolic stroke but found no significant association of genetically higher serum calcium concentrations with any ischemic stroke subtype
On the sensitivity of the HAWC observatory to gamma-ray bursts
We present the sensitivity of HAWC to Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). HAWC is a very
high-energy gamma-ray observatory currently under construction in Mexico at an
altitude of 4100 m. It will observe atmospheric air showers via the water
Cherenkov method. HAWC will consist of 300 large water tanks instrumented with
4 photomultipliers each. HAWC has two data acquisition (DAQ) systems. The main
DAQ system reads out coincident signals in the tanks and reconstructs the
direction and energy of individual atmospheric showers. The scaler DAQ counts
the hits in each photomultiplier tube (PMT) in the detector and searches for a
statistical excess over the noise of all PMTs. We show that HAWC has a
realistic opportunity to observe the high-energy power law components of GRBs
that extend at least up to 30 GeV, as it has been observed by Fermi LAT. The
two DAQ systems have an energy threshold that is low enough to observe events
similar to GRB 090510 and GRB 090902b with the characteristics observed by
Fermi LAT. HAWC will provide information about the high-energy spectra of GRBs
which in turn could help to understanding about e-pair attenuation in GRB jets,
extragalactic background light absorption, as well as establishing the highest
energy to which GRBs accelerate particles
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