The Gaugephobic Higgs

We present a class of models that contains Randall-Sundrum and Higgsless models as limiting cases. Over a wide range of the parameter space WW scattering is mainly unitarized by Kaluza-Klein partners of the W and Z, and the Higgs particle has suppressed couplings to the gauge bosons. Such a gaugephobic Higgs can be significantly lighter than the 114 GeV LEP bound for a standard Higgs, or heavier than the theoretical upper bound. These models predict a suppressed single top production rate and unconventional Higgs phenomenology at the LHC: the Higgs production rates will be suppressed and the Higgs branching fractions modified. However, the more difficult the Higgs search at the LHC is, the easier the search for other light resonances (like Z', W', t', exotic fermions) will be.Comment: 20 pages, 3 figure

Hyper baric carburising process

Anew patented technology improves low pressure carburising in vacuum furnace and traditionalcarburising in sealed quench furnace.The author, starting from argument that is possible to see in the specialized publications on the subject,has examined by scientific criteria which are the limits and the advantages of both the low pressurecarburising ,or the controlled atmosphere process. He evaluates the technological possibility to overcomesome of the limits that are conditioning the mechanical property of the heat treated pieces. Beforesuggesting new technological solutions that can promote better metallurgical properties together withclean environment, he examine some scientific arguments to make clear the problems.At the end of this research some important technological modification will be realised and the obtainedresults confirm the validity of the new process of hyper baric carburisation.The cause of the defects arising from the traditional technology have been eliminated and themodifications requested on the furnaces are not expensive. In same cases, maybe the new furnaces areeven cheaper, both in the buying phase than in the running cost

NITRURAZIONE GASSOSA - DECADIMENTO E SCAGLIATURA DEI CROGIOLI DI ACCIAIO INOX

È noto a chi esercita a livello industriale il processo di nitrurazione che, dopo tempi abbastanza lunghi , a volte mesi , a volte anni , le pareti degli attrezzi e dei crogioli assumano dapprima un colore grigio argento e, dopo altro tempo ancora, sulle pareti si formino e tendano a staccarsi delle scagliette dello spessore di qualche decina di micron ( vedi Fig. 1). All’ inizio del formarsi di questo difetto non si notano apparenti anomalie nella conduzione del processo di nitrurazione, solo mesi più avanti si comincia ad avere difficoltà nel raggiungere il potenziale di nitrurazione necessario per l’equilibrio con le fasi dei nitruri richieste nel processo . È necessario aumentare sempre di più il flusso di NH3 per avere un grado di dissociazione sufficientemente basso ed anche nel caso in cui lo si riesca a raggiungere, l’ uniformità della composizione e dello spessore delle fasi di nitrurazione è molto incostante. Nella stessa infornata si possono trovare pezzi che hanno spessore di coltre bianca che varia da 5 a 20 ?m, anche se i pezzi sono stati caricati a pochi cm di distanza uno dall’altr

High Time for Conservation: Adding the Environment to the Debate on Marijuana Liberalization

The liberalization of marijuana policies, including the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana, is sweeping the United States and other countries. Marijuana cultivation can have significant negative collateral effects on the environment that are often unknown or overlooked. Focusing on the state of California, where by some estimates 60% -- 70% of the marijuana consumed in the United States is grown, we argue that (a) the environmental harm caused by marijuana cultivation merits a direct policy response, (b) current approaches to governing the environmental effects are inadequate, and (c) neglecting discussion of the environmental impacts of cultivation when shaping future marijuana use and possession policies represents a missed opportunity to reduce, regulate, and mitigate environmental harm

Isocaloric intake of a high-fat diet modifies adiposity and lipid handling in a sex dependent manner in rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>High-fat (HF) diet feeding usually leads to hyperphagia and body weight gain, but macronutrient proportions in the diet can modulate energy intake and fat deposition. The mechanisms of fat accumulation and mobilization may differ significantly between depots, and gender can also influence these differences.</p> <p>Aim</p> <p>To investigate, in rats of both sexes, the effect of an isocaloric intake of a diet with an unbalanced proportion of macronutrients on fatty acid composition of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissues and how this is influenced by both dietary fatty acids and levels of proteins involved in tissue lipid handling.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Eight-week-old Wistar rats of both sexes were fed a control diet (3% <it>w/w </it>fat) or high-fat diet (30% <it>w/w </it>fat) for 14 weeks. Fatty acid composition was analyzed by gas-chromatography and levels of LPL, HSL, α2-AR, β3-AR, PKA and CPT1 were determined by Western blot.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The HF diet did not induce hyperphagia or body weight gain, but promoted an increase of adiposity index only in male rats. HF diet produced an increase of the proportion of MUFA and a decrease in that of PUFA in both adipose depots and in both sexes. The levels of proteins involved in the adrenergic control of the lipolytic pathway increased in the gonadal fat of HF females, whereas LPL levels increased in the inguinal fat of HF males and decreased in that of females.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Sexual dimorphism in adiposity index reflects a differential sex response to dietary fatty acid content and could be related to the levels of the proteins involved in tissue lipid management.</p

The Higgs boson in the MSSM in light of the LHC

We investigate the expectations for the light Higgs signal in the MSSM in different search channels at the LHC. After taking into account dark matter and flavor constraints in the MSSM with eleven free parameters, we show that the light Higgs signal in the $gamma\gamma$ channel is expected to be at most at the level of the SM Higgs, while the $h\rightarrow b\bar{b}$ from W fusion and/or the $h \rightarrow\tau\bar\tau$ can be enhanced. For the main discovery mode, we show that a strong suppression of the signal occurs in two different cases: low $M_A$ or large invisible width. A more modest suppression is associated with the effect of light supersymmetric particles. Looking for such modification of the Higgs properties and searching for supersymmetric partners and pseudoscalar Higgs offer two complementary probes of supersymmetry.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figure

Antioxidant and Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitory Peptides Obtained from Alcalase Protein Hydrolysate Fractions of Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Bran

Proteins from hemp bran (HPB), a byproduct of the hemp seed food-processing chain, were chemically extracted, hydrolyzed by Alcalase, and separated by membrane ultrafiltration into four fractions (MW &lt;1, 1-3, 3-5, and &gt;5 kDa). The antioxidant and antihypertensive properties of the initial extract and the fractions were evaluated by in vitro assays for their ability to scavenge radical species, bind with metal ions, reduce ferric ions, and inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity. Bioactive peptides were identified by high-resolution mass spectrometry and sequence comparison with BIOPEP and BioPep DB databases. The hydrolysate was strongly antioxidant and ACE-inhibiting; the most bioactive peptides were further concentrated by ultrafiltration. Of the 239 peptides identified, 47 (12 antioxidant and 35 ACE-inhibitory) exhibited structural features correlated with the specific bioactivity. These results highlight the promise of hydrolysate and size-based HPB fractions as natural functional ingredients for the food or pharmaceutical industry

Adsorption features of various inorganic materials for the drug removal from water and synthetic urine medium: A multi-technique time-resolved in situ investigation

Pharmaceutical active compounds, including hundreds of different substances, are counted among the emerging contaminants in waterbodies, whose presence raises a growing concern for the ecosystem. Drugs are metabolized and excreted mainly through urine as an unchanged active ingredient or in the form of metabolites. These emerging contaminants are not effectively removed with the technologies currently in use, making them a relevant environmental problem. This study proposes the treatment of urine and water at the source that can allow an easier removal of dissolved drugs and metabolites. The treatment of synthetic urine, with dissolved ibuprofen as a model compound, by adsorption, using various classes of inorganic materials, such as clays, hierarchical zeolites and ordered mesoporous silica (MCM-41), is presented. A multi-technique approach involving X-ray powder diffraction, solid-state NMR, UV-Vis and Raman spectroscopies was employed to investigate the adsorption process in inorganic adsorbents. Moreover, the uptake, the ensuing competition, the efficiency and selectivity as well as the packing of the model compound in ordered mesoporous silica during the incipient wetness impregnation process were all thoroughly monitored by a novel approach, involving combined complementary time-resolved in situ1 H and13 C MAS NMR spectroscopy as well as X-ray powder diffraction