Implications of the effective axial-vector coupling of gluon on top-quark charge asymmetry at the LHC

We study different top quark charge asymmetries and the variation of $t\bar t$ total cross section induced by the effective axial-vector coupling of gluon in the LHC experiments. We show that rapidity cut-dependent asymmetries are more sensitive to the new physics than the independent ones. We also study the dependence of the asymmetries and variations of total $t\bar t$ cross sections on the invariant mass of $t\bar t$ system and show that it would be necessary to measure those quantities as functions of $m_{tt}$ at the LHC. In the context of considered new physics scenario, 7 TeV LHC has enough sensitivity either to confirm the Tevatron top asymmetry anomaly or to rule it out. In the latter case the LHC is able to put stringent constraint on the new physics scale $\Lambda$ in this framework.Comment: few small changes in the text, Fig. 2 corrected, same as published version, 12 pages, 9 figure

Fermiophobic Higgs boson and supersymmetry

If a light Higgs boson with mass 125 GeV is fermiophobic, or partially fermiophobic, then the MSSM is excluded. The minimal supersymmetric fermiophobic Higgs scenario can naturally be formulated in the context of the NMSSM that admits Z_3 discrete symmetries. In the fermiophobic NMSSM, the SUSY naturalness criteria are relaxed by a factor N_c y_t^4/g^4 \sim 25, removing the little hierarchy problem and allowing sparticle masses to be naturally of order 2--3 TeV. This scale motivates wino or higgsino dark matter. The SUSY flavour and CP problems as well as the constraints on sparticle and Higgs boson masses from b \to s\gamma, B_s \to \mu\mu\ and direct LHC searches are relaxed in fermiophobic NMSSM. The price to pay is that a new, yet unknown, mechanism must be introduced to generate fermion masses. We show that in the fermiophobic NMSSM the radiative Higgs boson branchings to \gamma\gamma, \gamma Z can be modified compared to the fermiophobic and ordinary standard model predictions, and fit present collider data better. Suppression of dark matter scattering off nuclei explains the absence of signal in XENON100.Comment: added discussion on the general tan\beta\ case, same as published version, 26 pages, 6 figure

Towards Completing the Standard Model: Vacuum Stability, EWSB and Dark Matter

We study the standard model (SM) in its full perturbative validity range between $\Lambda_QCD$ and the $U(1)_Y$ Landau pole, assuming that a yet unknown gravitational theory in the UV does not introduce additional particle thresholds, as suggested by the tiny cosmological constant and the absence of new stabilising physics at the EW scale. We find that, due to dimensional transmutation, the SM Higgs potential has a global minimum at 10^26 GeV, invalidating the SM as a phenomenologically acceptable model in this energy range. We show that extending the classically scale invariant SM with one complex singlet scalar S allows us to: (i) stabilise the SM Higgs potential; (ii) induce a scale in the singlet sector via dimensional transmutation that generates the negative SM Higgs mass term via the Higgs portal; (iii) provide a stable CP-odd singlet as the thermal relic dark matter due to CP-conservation of the scalar potential; (iv) provide a degree of freedom that can act as an inflaton in the form of the CP-even singlet. The logarithmic behaviour of dimensional transmutation allows one to accommodate the large hierarchy between the electroweak scale and the Landau pole, while understanding the latter requires a new non-perturbative view on the SM.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures. Final version to be published in Physical Review

GPGPU for track finding in High Energy Physics

The LHC experiments are designed to detect large amount of physics events produced with a very high rate. Considering the future upgrades, the data acquisition rate will become even higher and new computing paradigms must be adopted for fast data-processing: General Purpose Graphics Processing Units (GPGPU) is a novel approach based on massive parallel computing. The intense computation power provided by Graphics Processing Units (GPU) is expected to reduce the computation time and to speed-up the low-latency applications used for fast decision taking. In particular, this approach could be hence used for high-level triggering in very complex environments, like the typical inner tracking systems of the multi-purpose experiments at LHC, where a large number of charged particle tracks will be produced with the luminosity upgrade. In this article we discuss a track pattern recognition algorithm based on the Hough Transform, where a parallel approach is expected to reduce dramatically the execution time.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, proceedings prepared for GPU-HEP 2014 conference, submitted to DESY-PROC-201

Phagocytic and pinocytic uptake of cholesterol in Tetrahymena thermophila impact differently on gene regulation for sterol homeostasis

The ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila can either synthesize tetrahymanol or when available, assimilate and modify sterols from its diet. This metabolic shift is mainly driven by transcriptional regulation of genes for tetrahymanol synthesis (TS) and sterol bioconversion (SB). The mechanistic details of sterol uptake, intracellular trafficking and the associated gene expression changes are unknown. By following cholesterol incorporation over time in a conditional phagocytosis-deficient mutant, we found that although phagocytosis is the main sterol intake route, a secondary endocytic pathway exists. Different expression patterns for TS and SB genes were associated with these entry mechanisms. Squalene synthase was down-regulated by a massive cholesterol intake only attainable by phagocytosis-proficient cells, whereas C22-sterol desaturase required ten times less cholesterol and was up-regulated in both wild-type and mutant cells. These patterns are suggestive of at least two different signaling pathways. Sterol trafficking beyond phagosomes and esterification was impaired by the NPC1 inhibitor U18666A. NPC1 is a protein that mediates cholesterol export from late endosomes/lysosomes in mammalian cells. U18666A also produced a delay in the transcriptional response to cholesterol, suggesting that the regulatory signals are triggered between lysosomes and the endoplasmic reticulum. These findings could hint at partial conservation of sterol homeostasis between eukaryote lineages.Fil: Hernandez, Josefina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Gabrielli, Matias. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Costa, Joaquin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Uttaro, Antonio Domingo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; Argentin

An encoderless high-performance synchronous reluctance motor drive

This paper presents an encoderless high-performance synchronous reluctance motor drive for traction applications. The control system is based on the active flux concept and a hybrid rotor position estimation algorithm is used, being this algorithm based on the injection of high-frequency signals at low speeds and on the position of the active flux vector for medium and high-speeds. A smooth transition algorithm between the two rotor position estimation methods is provided. Moreover, in order to improve the efficiency of the overall drive system, a loss minimization algorithm is proposed in order to reduce the motor copper losses when operating in steady-state. Experimental results obtained in the laboratory confirm the validity and adequacy of the proposed algorithms for the developed drive system.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Plasmon‐Assisted Energy Transfer in Hybrid Nanosystems

While direct optical excitation of carbon nanotubes activates only the tube species strictly matching the excitation source, excitation energy transfer processes provide a single excitation channel for all the nanotubes species in a sample. The requirement of an overlap between donor emission and acceptor absorption limits the poll of donors able to trasfer their excitation to the tubes, leaving the high‐energy part of the solar spectrum excluded from such processes. Here it is shown that the grafting of small metal nanoparticles to the tubes alters those rules, enabling energy transfer process from molecules for which the standard energy transfer process is strongly suppressed. The onset of an energy transfer band in the UV/blue spectral region is demonstrated for an hybrid gold‐pyrene‐nanotube system, yielding collective emission from all the tubes present in our samples upon excitation of pyrene

A network analysis of countries' export flows: firm grounds for the building blocks of the economy

In this paper we analyze the bipartite network of countries and products from UN data on country production. We define the country-country and product-product projected networks and introduce a novel method of filtering information based on elements' similarity. As a result we find that country clustering reveals unexpected socio-geographic links among the most competing countries. On the same footings the products clustering can be efficiently used for a bottom-up classification of produced goods. Furthermore we mathematically reformulate the "reflections method" introduced by Hidalgo and Hausmann as a fixpoint problem; such formulation highlights some conceptual weaknesses of the approach. To overcome such an issue, we introduce an alternative methodology (based on biased Markov chains) that allows to rank countries in a conceptually consistent way. Our analysis uncovers a strong non-linear interaction between the diversification of a country and the ubiquity of its products, thus suggesting the possible need of moving towards more efficient and direct non-linear fixpoint algorithms to rank countries and products in the global market.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figure

Espécies vegetais na fitoextração de boro, cobre, chumbo, manganês e zinco de solo contaminado

A fitorremediação é uma opção atraente na remoção de solos contaminados com metais por ser uma técnica simples, de baixo custo e ambientalmente aceitável. O potencial de fitorremediação da kenaf (Hybiscus canabinnus), mostarda (Brassica juncea), rabanete (Raphunus sativus) and amaranto (Amaranthus crentus) foram examinadas num experimento usando solo contaminado por Zn, Cu, Mn, Pb e B. O experimento foi conduzido em vasos, cultivando as quatro espécies até o florescimento. Os índices de translocação, bioconcentração e remoção, o fator de transferência e o tempo necessário para atingir a remoção de 50% do elemento do solo, entre outros indicadores, foram empregados na tentativa de identificar uma espécie hiperacumuladora. A kenaf foi a espécie mais tolerante nas condições empregadas, com a maior produção de matéria seca e ausência de sintomas visuais de toxidez. O amaranto foi a espécie mais indicada na remediação do solo testado em condições de campo por apresentar os melhores índices de descontaminação para Zn e Mn entre as espécies testadas, além de também apresentar valores satisfatórios para remoção do B. Todas as espécies testadas foram capazes de remover B do solo. Apesar destes resultados, não foi possível identificar uma espécie hiperacumuladora.Phytoremediation is an attractive option to remove metal from contaminated soil since it is a simple, low-cost, and environmentally friendly procedure. To better examine the phytoremediation potential of kenaf (Hybiscus canabinnus), mustard (Brassica juncea), turnip (Raphunus sativus) and amaranth (Amaranthus crentus) plants, a greenhouse experiment was performed in which these species were grown on a soil contaminated with Zn, Cu, Mn, Pb and B. The translocation, the bioconcentration and the removal index, the transference factor and the time to reach 50% of element removal from soil, among other indicators, were used in order to identify a hyperaccumulator. Kenaf plants were more tolerant to the conditions tested, with the highest dry matter production and no visual toxicity symptoms. Amaranth would be the species chosen to remediate the soil under field conditions as it presented the higher indexes for decontamination of Zn and Mn and was also able to remove B. Turnip showed the best results for Pb removal. All species tested were able to remove B from soil. In spite, none of the plant species tested could be characterized as a hyperaccumulator

Valor taxonômico de caracteres foliares em Dahlstedtia Malme: Leguminosae, Papilionoideae, Millettieae

Dahlstedtia Malme (Leguminosae) is a neotropical genus, native to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, and comprises two species, D. pinnata (Benth.) Malme and D. pentaphylla (Taub.) Burk., although it has been considered a monotypic genus by some authors. Leaf anatomy was compared to verify the presence of anatomical characters to help delimit species. Foliar primordium, leaflet, petiolule, petiole and pulvinus were collected from cultivated plants (Campinas, SP, Brazil) and from natural populations (Picinguaba, Ubatuba and Caraguatatuba, SP, Brazil - D. pinnata; Antonina, PR, Brazil - D. pentaphylla). Studies on leaflet surface assessment (Scanning Electron Microscopy), as well as histology and venation analyses were carried out of dehydrated, fresh and fixed material from two species. Leaflet material was macerated for stomatal counts. Histological sections, obtained by free-hand cut or microtome, were stained with Toluidine Blue, Safranin/Alcian Blue, Ferric Chloride, Acid Phloroglucin. Secretory cavities are present in the lamina, petiolule, petiole, pulvinus and leaf primordium in D. pentaphylla, but not in D. pinnata, and can be considered an important character for species diagnosis. Other leaf characters were uninformative in delimiting Dahlstedtia species. There is cambial activity in the petiolule, petiole and pulvinus. This study, associated with other available data, supports the recognition of two species in Dahlstedtia.Dahlstedtia Malme (Leguminosae) é um gênero neotropical, com duas espécies reconhecidas, D. pinnata (Benth.) Malme e D. pentaphylla (Taub.) Burk., embora tenha sido considerado monotípico por alguns autores. Seus representantes ocorrem na Floresta Atlântica, nos Estados do Sul e Sudeste do Brasil. Neste trabalho, realizamos um estudo comparativo da anatomia foliar, para verificar a presença de caracteres que possam auxiliar a identificação das espécies. Primórdio foliar, lâmina foliar, peciólulo, pecíolo e pulvino foram coletados de plantas cultivadas em Campinas, SP, Brasil e de populações naturais encontradas em Picinguaba, Ubatuba e Caraguatatuba, SP, Brasil (D. pinnata) e em Antonina, PR, Brasil (D. pentaphylla). Análises da superfície (Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura), da venação foliolar e histológicas foram realizadas em material herborizado, fresco e fixado. A contagem de estômatos foi realizada após maceração do limbo. Lâminas semi-permanentes e permanentes foram confeccionadas com cortes obtidos a mão livre e em micrótomo rotativo, respectivamente, corados com Azul de Toluidina, Safranina/Azul de Alcian, Cloreto Férrico e Floroglucina Acidificada. Cavidades secretoras estão presentes na lâmina foliar, no peciólulo, no pecíolo, no pulvino e no primórdio foliar de D. pentaphylla, mas não foram encontradas em D. pinnata, constituindo um caráter diagnóstico para as espécies. Os outros caracteres foliares não foram informativos. Uma característica anatômica que merece ser ressaltada é a presença de atividade cambial no peciólulo, pecíolo e pulvino. Os dados obtidos deste estudo, associados a outros disponíveis na literatura, confirmam o reconhecimento de duas espécies no gênero Dahlstedtia.395403Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES