Quantum SUSY signatures in low and high energy processes

In the search for phenomenological evidence of supersymmetry through the indirect method of quantum signatures, it is useful to seek correlations of the non-standard quantum effects in low and high energy proceses, such as those involving on one hand the properties of the B-mesons and on the other hand the physics of the top quark and of the Higgs bosons. There are regions of the MSSM parameter space where the potential quantum SUSY signatures in the two energy regimes are strongly interwoven and therefore the eventual detection of these correlated quantum effects would strongly point towards the existence of underlying supersymmetric dynamics.Comment: 17 pages, LaTeX, 7 figs included with epsfig. Talk at the 5th International Workshop on High Energy Physics Phenomenology (WHEPP-5). To appear in the Proceeding

Supersymmetry Tests from a Combined Analysis of Chargino and Charged Higgs Boson Pair Production at a 1 TeV Linear Collider

We consider the production of chargino and charged Higgs boson pairs at future linear colliders for c.m. energies in the one TeV range. Working in the MSSM under the assumption of a "moderately" light SUSY scenario, we compute the leading (double) and next-to leading (linear) supersymmetric logarithmic terms of the so-called "Sudakov expansion" at one loop. We show that a combined analysis of the slopes of the chargino and of the charged Higgs production cross sections would offer a simple possibility for determining $\tan\beta$ for large ($\gtrsim 10$) values and an allowed strip in the ($M_2,\mu$) plane. This could provide a strong consistency test of the considered supersymmetric model.Comment: 4 pages, 4 Encapsulated PostScript Figure

Production and FCNC decay of supersymmetric Higgs bosons into heavy quarks in the LHC

We analyze the production and subsequent decay of the neutral MSSM Higgs bosons (h = h^0, H^0, A^0) mediated by flavor changing neutral currents (FCNC) in the LHC collider. We have computed the h-production cross-section times the FCNC branching ratio, \sigma(pp -> h -> qq') = \sigma(pp -> h) B(h -> qq'), in the LHC focusing on the strongly-interacting FCNC sector. Here qq' is an electrically neutral pair of quarks of different flavors, the dominant modes being those containing a heavy quark: tc or bs. We determine the maximum production rates for each of these modes and identify the relevant regions of the MSSM parameter space, after taking into account the severe restrictions imposed by low energy FCNC processes. The analysis of \sigma(pp -> h -> qq') singles out regions of the MSSM parameter space different from those obtained by maximizing only the branching ratio, due to non-trivial correlations between the parameters that maximize/minimize each isolated factor. The production rates for the bs channel can be huge for a FCNC process (0.1-1 pb), but its detection can be problematic. The production rates for the tc channel are more modest (10^{-3}-10^{-2} pb), but its detection should be easier due to the clear-cut top quark signature. A few thousand tc events could be collected in the highest luminosity phase of the LHC, with no counterpart in the SM.Comment: 25 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, LaTeX 2e. Typos corrected. Version to appear in JHE

Fermionic decays of sfermions: a complete discussion at one-loop order

We present a definition of an on-shell renormalization scheme for the sfermion and chargino-neutralino sector of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). Then, apply this renormalization framework to the interaction between charginos/neutralinos and sfermions. A kind of universal corrections is identified, which allow to define effective chargino/neutralino coupling matrices. In turn, these interactions generate (universal) non-decoupling terms that grow as the logarithm of the heavy mass. Therefore the full MSSM spectrum must be taken into account in the computation of radiative corrections to observables involving these interactions. As an application we analyze the full one-loop electroweak radiative corrections to the partial decay widths \Gamma(\tilde{f} -> f\neut) and \Gamma(\tilde{f} -> f'\cplus) for all sfermion flavours and generations. These are combined with the QCD corrections to compute the corrected branching ratios of sfermions. It turns out that the electroweak corrections can have an important impact on the partial decay widths, as well as the branching ratios, in wide regions of the parameter space. The precise value of the corrections is strongly dependent on the correlation between the different particle masses.Comment: LaTeX 53 pages, 22 figures, 3 tables. Typos correcte

Characterization of Catalan red wines by pattern recognition methods

52 red wines produced in the Tarragona province (Catalonia, Spain), 1983 vintage, belonging to 4 different regions, namely Priorat, Terra Alta, Camp de Tarragona and Falset, have been characterized and differentiated according to their geographic origin on the basis of 17 parameters measured for each sample and 3 pattern recognition methods: Statistical Quadratic Discriminant Analysis, K-Nearest Neighbour and Linear Learning Machine. The meta! ions manganese, magnesium, iron and sodium, along with the enological parameters ethanol content, alkalinity of ashes and titratable acidity have been found as the most relevant ones in this study. The lack of varietal differences together with quite similar climatic and cultural conditions due to the geographic contiguity of the studied zones leads to a maximum prediction ability of 87 % with the Linear Learning Machine method

One year follow-up of a randomized trial with a dilemma-focused intervention for depression: Exploring an alternative to problem-oriented strategies

© 2018 Feixas et al.Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is aimed to counteract cognitions and behaviours that are considered as dysfunctional. The aim of the study is to test whether the inclusion of a non-counteractive approach (dilemma-focused intervention, DFI) in combination with CBT group therapy will yield better short- and long-term outcomes than an intervention conducted entirely using CBT.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Sneutrino Production at e+e- Linear Colliders: Addendum to Slepton Production

Complementing the preceding study of charged scalar leptons, the sector of the neutral scalar leptons, sneutrinos, is investigated in a high-precision analysis for future e+e- linear colliders. The theoretical predictions for the cross-sections are calculated at the thresholds for non-zero widths and in the continuum including higher-order corrections at the one-loop level. Methods for measuring the sneutrino masses and the electron-sneutrino-gaugino Yukawa couplings are presented, addressing theoretical problems specific for the sneutrino channels.Comment: 21 pp, Addendum to Eur.Phys.J. C34 (2004) 487-512 [hep-ph/0310182], Version to appear in Eur.Phys.J.

Treatment with EV-miRNAs Alleviates Obesity-Associated Metabolic Dysfunction in Mice

Most cells release extracellular vesicles (EVs) that can be detected circulating in blood. We and others have shown that the microRNA contents of these vesicles induce transcriptomic changes in acceptor cells, contributing to the adjustment of metabolic homeostasis in response to environmental demands. Here, we explore the potential for modulating obesity- and exercise-derived EV-microRNAs to treat the metabolic dysfunction associated with obesity in mice. Treatment with EV-miRNAs alleviated glucose intolerance and insulin resistance in obese mice to an extent similar to that of high-intensity interval training, although only exercise improved cardiorespiratory fitness and decreased body weight. Mechanistically, EV-miRNAs decreased fatty acid and cholesterol biosynthesis pathways in the liver, reducing hepatic steatosis and increasing insulin sensitivity, resulting in decreased glycemia and triglyceridemia. Our data suggest that manipulation of EV-miRNAs may be a viable strategy to alleviate metabolic dysfunction in obese and diabetic patients who are unable to exercise, although actual physical activity is needed to improve cardiorespiratory fitness

Sfermion Precision Measurements at a Linear Collider

At future e+- e- linear colliders, the event rates and clean signals of scalar fermion production - in particular for the scalar leptons - allow very precise measurements of their masses and couplings and the determination of their quantum numbers. Various methods are proposed for extracting these parameters from the data at the sfermion thresholds and in the continuum. At the same time, NLO radiative corrections and non-zero width effects have been calculated in order to match the experimental accuracy. The substantial mixing expected for the third generation sfermions opens up additional opportunities. Techniques are presented for determining potential CP-violating phases and for extracting tan(beta) from the stau sector, in particular at high values. The consequences of possible large mass differences in the stop and sbottom system are explored in dedicated analyses.Comment: Expanded version of contributions to the proceedings of ICHEP'02 (Amsterdam) and LCWS 2002 (Jeju Island