The sfermion mass spectrum of the MSSM at the one-loop level

The sfermion-mass spectrum of the minimal supersymmetric standard model is investigated at the one-loop level. An on-shell scheme has been specified for renormalization of the basic breaking parameters of the sfermionic sector. Owing to SU(2)-invariance, the soft-breaking mass parameters of the left-chiral scalar fermions of each isospin doublet are identical. Thus, one of the sfermion-masses of each doublet can be expressed in terms of the other masses and receives a mass shift at the one-loop level with respect to the lowest-order value, which can be of $O(10$ GeV). Both strong and electroweak contributions have been calculated for scalar quarks and leptons.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, version to appear in Eur. Phys. J.

A new cell primo-culture method for freshwater benthic diatom communities

A new cell primo-culture method was developed for the benthic diatom community isolated from biofilm sampled in rivers. The approach comprised three steps: (1) scraping biofilm from river pebbles, (2) diatom isolation from biofilm, and (3) diatom community culture. With a view to designing a method able to stimulate the growth of diatoms, to limit the development of other microorganisms, and to maintain in culture a community similar to the original natural one, different factors were tested in step 3: cell culture medium (Chu No 10 vs Freshwater “WC” medium modified), cell culture vessel, and time of culture. The results showed that using Chu No 10 medium in an Erlenmeyer flask for cell culture was the optimal method, producing enough biomass for ecotoxicological tests as well as minimising development of other microorganisms. After 96 h of culture, communities differed from the original communities sampled in the two rivers studied. Species tolerant of eutrophic or saprobic conditions were favoured during culture. This method of diatom community culture affords the opportunity to assess, in vitro, the effects of different chemicals or effluents (water samples andindustrial effluents) on diatom communities, as well as on diatom cells, from a wide range of perspectives

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

SFOLD - a program package for calculating two-body sfermion decays at full one-loop level in the MSSM

SFOLD (Sfermion Full One Loop Decays) is a Fortran program package for calculating all sfermion two-body decay widths and the corresponding branching ratios at full one-loop level within the MSSM. The package adopts the SUSY Parameter Analysis convention and supports the SUSY Les Houches Accord input and output format. With the SFOLD package we found non-negligible electroweak corrections in bosonic decays of sbottom, stop and stau.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figure

The effect of metals on photosynthesis processes and diatom metrics of biofilm from a metal-contaminated river: A translocation experiment

With the aim of evaluating cause-effect relationships between metal pollution and biofilm structure and function, a translocation study was performed in a metal-polluted stream (the Osor stream "la riera d'Osor", NE Spain). Biofilm responses were measured as temporal changes in chl-a fluorescence parameters, pigment composition and diatom species composition. Biofilms from a non-polluted site were translocated to four downstream sites presenting a gradient of metal pollution, corresponding to scenarios of low and moderate metal pollution. Metal effects (Zn bioaccumulation, Fe bioaccumulation and Zn in water) were distinguished from other stressors (phosphate concentration in water). Based on the results obtained, a fast bioaccumulation of Zn (after few hours of exposure) was linked to a decrease in photosynthetic efficiency and an enhancement of mechanisms of protection through the xanthophyll cycle. After longer exposure, differences in Zn and Fe bioaccumulation and Zn water concentration between sites were linked to diatom community changes; decrease in diatom cell biovolume, along with a decrease in the IPS index of diatoms. Based on our results, we recommend including Zn in the list of priority pollutant substances of the European Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC), due to its occurrence and toxicity. In addition, our study supports the use of chl-a fluorescence parameters together with the analysis of photosynthetic pigments of biofilms as suitable functional endpoints of early toxicity. Furthermore, diatom community studies are recommended for their clear response after chronic exposure. However, new diatom indices beyond the use of the IPS are required to increase their sensitivity to metal pollution, e.g. to identify the damage caused by moderate to low metal pollution.Este estudo foi financiado polo proxecto europeo KEYBIOEFFECTS (MRTN-CT-2006-035695) e o proxecto español: FLUVIALMULTISTRESS (CTM2009-14111-CO2-01).S

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

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

Obstructed D-Branes in Landau-Ginzburg Orbifolds

We study deformations of Landau-Ginzburg D-branes corresponding to obstructed rational curves on Calabi-Yau threefolds. We determine D-brane moduli spaces and D-brane superpotentials by evaluating higher products up to homotopy in the Landau-Ginzburg orbifold category. For concreteness we work out the details for lines on a perturbed Fermat quintic. In this case we show that our results reproduce the local analytic structure of the Hilbert scheme of curves on the threefold.Comment: 44 pages; v3: typos correcte

Loss of TGFβ Signaling Destabilizes Homeostasis and Promotes Squamous Cell Carcinomas in Stratified Epithelia

SummaryAlthough TGFβ is a potent inhibitor of proliferation, epithelia lacking the essential receptor (TβRII) for TGFβ signaling display normal tissue homeostasis. By studying asymptomatic TβRII-deficient stratified epithelia, we show that tissue homeostasis is maintained by balancing hyperproliferation with elevated apoptosis. Moreover, rectal and genital epithelia, which are naturally proliferative, develop spontaneous squamous cell carcinomas with age when TβRII is absent. This progression is associated with a reduction in apoptosis and can be accelerated in phenotypically normal epidermis by oncogenic mutations in Ras. We show that TβRII deficiency leads to enhanced keratinocyte motility and integrin-FAK-Src signaling. Together, these mechanisms provide a molecular framework to account for many of the characteristics of TβRII-deficient invasive SQCCs