Realistic Yukawa Structures from Orientifold Compactifications

We perform a systematic analysis of globally consistent D-brane quivers which realize the MSSM, and analyze them with respect to their Yukawa couplings. Often, desired couplings are perturbatively forbidden due to the presence of global U(1) symmetries. We investigate the conditions under which D-brane instantons will induce these missing couplings without generating other phenomenological drawbacks, such as R-parity violating couplings or a mu-term which is too large. Furthermore, we systematically analyze which quivers allow for a mechanism that can account for the small neutrino masses and other experimentally observed hierarchies. We show that only a small fraction of the globally consistent D-brane quivers exhibits phenomenology compatible with experimental observations.Comment: 42 pages, 3 figures. v2: R-parity constraints and Yukawa texture analysis improved; typos corrected and references adde

Clinical heterogeneity in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

Introduction: The indisputable increase in nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) prevalence (25% of population) has consequently led to an increase in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) and liver-related mortality worldwide. The characteristics of patients with HCC, secondary to NAFLD, are older age, large tumors due to late diagnosis, often without cirrhosis and high prevalence of the metabolic syndrome components, leading to an increased mortality rate. Although the mechanisms of disease remain partially obscure, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, apoptosis, iron overload, and excessive local and systemic inflammation are identified as culprits for hepatocarcinogenesis in the presence of NAFLD. Area covered: In this review, the authors report that there are no uniform guidelines for surveillance and early diagnosis in this patient group. Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging is generally applicable to HCC due to NAFLD and management depends on liver function, tumor characteristics, and cardiovascular comorbidity. Evidence suggests that HCC due to NAFLD can be associated with worse survival due to late diagnosis. Expert opinion: The need for effective early diagnosis and management of NAFLD is urgent, considering the galloping incidence of the obesity and the fact that liver cirrhosis and HCC due to NAFLD will become the first indication for liver transplantation in foreseeable future. © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group