Non-decoupling effects of SUSY in the physics of Higgs bosons and their phenomenological implications

We consider a plausible scenario in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) where all the genuine supersymmetric (SUSY) particles are heavier than the electroweak scale. In this situation, indirect searches via their radiative corrections to low energy observables are complementary to direct searches, and they can be crucial if the SUSY masses are at the TeV energy range. We summarize the most relevant heavy SUSY radiative effects in Higgs boson physics and emphasize those that manifest a non-decoupling behaviour. We focus, in particular, on the SUSY-QCD non-decoupling effects in fermionic Higgs decays, flavour changing Higgs decays and Yukawa couplings. Some of their phenomenological implications at future colliders are also studied.Comment: Invited talk given by M. J. Herrero at the X Mexican School of Particles and Fields, Playa del Carmen, Mexico, November 200

The Involvement of Neuroinflammation and Kynurenine Pathway in Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterised by loss of dopaminergic neurons and localized neuroinflammation occurring in the midbrain several years before the actual onset of symptoms. Activated microglia themselves release a large number of inflammatory mediators thus perpetuating neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity. The Kynurenine pathway (KP), the main catabolic pathway for tryptophan, is one of the major regulators of the immune response and may also be implicated in the inflammatory response in parkinsonism. The KP generates several neuroactive compounds and therefore has either a neurotoxic or neuroprotective effect. Several of these molecules produced by microglia can activate the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-signalling pathway, leading to an excitotoxic response. Previous studies have shown that NMDA antagonists can ease symptoms and exert a neuroprotective effect in PD both in vivo and in vitro. There are to date several lines of evidence linking some of the KP intermediates and the neuropathogenesis of PD. Moreover, it is likely that pharmacological modulation of the KP will represent a new therapeutic strategy for PD

Projections of annual rainfall and surface temperature from CMIP5 models over the BIMSTEC countries

Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand brings together 21% of the world population. Thus the impact of climate change in this region is a major concern for all. To study the climate change, fifth phase of Climate Model Inter-comparison Project models have been used to project the climate for the 21st century under the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) 4.5 and 8.5 over the BIMSTEC countries for the period 1901 to 2100 (initial 105 years are historical period and the later 95 years are projected period). Climate change in the projected period has been examined with respect to the historical period. In order to validate the models, the mean annual rainfall has been compared with observations from multiple sources and temperature has been compared with the data from Climatic Research Unit (CRU) during the historical period. Comparison reveals that ensemble mean of the models is able to represent the observed spatial distribution of rainfall and temperature over the BIMSTEC countries. Therefore, data from these models may be used to study the future changes in the 21st century. Four out of six models show that the rainfall over India, Thailand and Myanmar has decreasing trend and Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka show an increasing trend in both the RCP scenarios. In case of temperature, all the models show an increasing trend over all the BIMSTEC countries in both the scenarios, however, the rate of increase is relatively less over Sri Lanka than the other countries. The rate of increase/decrease in rainfall and temperature are relatively more in RCP8.5 than RCP4.5 over all these countries. Inter-model comparison show that there are uncertainties within the CMIP5 model projections. More similar studies are required to be done for better understanding the model uncertainties in climate projections over this region

A problem on the approximation of n-roots based on the Viète's work

In this paper, after giving a brief approach about the historical question of how different authors and cultures handled approximations of the n-th root of N := An + R, we consider the particular case of the approximation of n v N by A + R d (here n, A, d are positive integers, with n = 2, d = (A + 1)n - An - 1, and 0 < R = d), explicitly considered by Viète in his De Numerosa Potestatum. Viète established in one of the precepts of his work that the n-th root is placed between A + R d+1 and A+ R d . Indeed, it is easily seen that, of course, A + R d+1 = n v N , but unfortunately n v N can be greater than A + R d when n = 3. Then the question arises whether we are able or not of determining what values of R (fixing the integer values n and A, so also d) give a true approximation by excess when n v N is estimated as A + R d , that is, to find those values of R producing an excess in relation with the exact value of the root. We give a complete answer to the cases n = 7, and we present without proof the main result for a general n.This work has been supported by the grant MTM2017-84079-P (AEI/FEDER, UE) from Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (Spain).Postprint (published version

Towards climate-smart dairy development

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundatio