Dark matter scenarios in the minimal SUSY B-L model

We perform a study of the dark matter candidates of a constrained version of the minimal R-parity-conserving supersymmetric model with a gauged $U(1)_{B-L}$. It turns out that there are four additional candidates for dark matter in comparison to the MSSM: two kinds of neutralino, which either correspond to the gaugino of the $U(1)_{B-L}$ or to a fermionic bilepton, as well as "right-handed" CP-even and -odd sneutrinos. The correct dark matter relic density of the neutralinos can be obtained due to different mechanisms including new co-annihilation regions and resonances. The large additional Yukawa couplings required to break the $U(1)_{B-L}$ radiatively often lead to large annihilation cross sections for the sneutrinos. The correct treatment of gauge kinetic mixing is crucial to the success of some scenarios. All candidates are consistent with the exclusion limits of Xenon100.Comment: 45 pages, 22 figures; v2: extended discussion of direct detection cross section, matches published versio

Two loop electroweak corrections to Bˉ→Xsγ\bar B\rightarrow X_s\gamma and Bs0→μ+μ−B_s^0\rightarrow \mu^+\mu^- in the B-LSSM

The rare decays $\bar B\rightarrow X_s\gamma$ and $B_s^0\rightarrow \mu^+\mu^-$ are important to research new physics beyond standard model. In this work, we investigate two loop electroweak corrections to $\bar B\rightarrow X_s\gamma$ and $B_s^0\rightarrow \mu^+\mu^-$ in the minimal supersymmetric extension of the SM with local $B-L$ gauge symmetry (B-LSSM), under a minimal flavor violating assumption for the soft breaking terms. In this framework, new particles and new definition of squarks can affect the theoretical predictions of these two processes, with respect to the MSSM. Considering the constraints from updated experimental data, the numerical results show that the B-LSSM can fit the experimental data for the branching ratios of $\bar B\rightarrow X_s\gamma$ and $B_s^0\rightarrow \mu^+\mu^-$. The results of the rare decays also further constrain the parameter space of the B-LSSM.Comment: 33 pages, 9 figures, Published in EPJ

A systematic review investigating fatigue, psychological and cognitive impairment following TIA and minor stroke:protocol paper

Approximately 20,000 people have a transient ischemic attack (TIA) and 23,375 have a minor stroke in England each year. Fatigue, psychological and cognitive impairments are well documented post-stroke. Evidence suggests that TIA and minor stroke patients also experience these impairments; however, they are not routinely offered relevant treatment. This systematic review aims to: (1) establish the prevalence of fatigue, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cognitive impairment following TIA and minor stroke and to investigate the temporal course of these impairments; (2) explore impact on quality of life (QoL), change in emotions and return to work; (3) identify where further research is required and to potentially inform an intervention study

Phenomenology of Light Sneutrino Dark Matter in cMSSM/mSUGRA with Inverse Seesaw

We study the possibility of a light Dark Matter (DM) within a constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (cMSSM) framework augmented by a SM singlet-pair sector to account for the non-zero neutrino masses by inverse seesaw mechanism. Working within a 'hybrid' scenario with the MSSM sector fixed at high scale and the singlet neutrino sector at low scale, we find that, contrary to the case of the usual cMSSM where the neutralino DM cannot be very light, we can have a light sneutrino DM with mass below 100 GeV satisfying all the current experimental constraints from cosmology, collider as well as low-energy experiments. We also note that the supersymmetric inverse seesaw mechanism with sneutrino as the lightest supersymmetric partner can have enhanced same-sign dilepton final states with large missing transverse energy (mET) coming from the gluino- and squark-pair as well as the squark-gluino associated productions and their cascade decay through charginos. We present a collider study for the same-sign dilepton+jets+mET signal in this scenario and propose some distinctions with the usual cMSSM. We also comment on the implications of such a light DM scenario on the invisible decay width of an 125 GeV Higgs boson.Comment: 24 pages, 4 figures, 7 tables; matches published versio

Beyond Legalism in Turbulent Times: Re-grounding UK Social Work in a Richer International Human Rights Perspective

Human rights have always been intrinsically woven into social work, but in the UK, often in a way that is either vague or wholly legalistic. In this article, we make a case for embedding a broader and richer concept of human rights in UK social work practice and education. We contrast the international social work perspective on human rights with that of UK professional codes and suggest that the narrow and uninterrogated conceptualisation of human rights in the UK may be acting as a barrier to UK social workers fully understanding and engaging with broader human rights agendas of the sort found in international practice. We argue for the merits of regrounding UK social work in this broader human rights concept, in which radical and emancipatory approaches can be underpinned by a common and unifying rights-orientated perspective. We make this argument, initially, in the context of the Human Rights Act 1998 remaining in UK law, which we see as entirely necessary for the protection of human rights in social work in the country, but insufficient for a broader, richer concept. We also, however, consider a scenario in which the Act is replaced by a British Bill of Rights and argue that such a development would present a further urgent need for embedding a broader human rights concept in UK social work. We close by setting out some of what such a concept might involve

Identification and Analysis of the Active Phytochemicals from the Anti-Cancer Botanical Extract Bezielle

Bezielle is a botanical extract that has selective anti-tumor activity, and has shown a promising efficacy in the early phases of clinical testing. Bezielle inhibits mitochondrial respiration and induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mitochondria of tumor cells but not in non-transformed cells. The generation of high ROS in tumor cells leads to heavy DNA damage and hyper-activation of PARP, followed by the inhibition of glycolysis. Bezielle therefore belongs to a group of drugs that target tumor cell mitochondria, but its cytotoxicity involves inhibition of both cellular energy producing pathways. We found that the cytotoxic activity of the Bezielle extract in vitro co-purified with a defined fraction containing multiple flavonoids. We have isolated several of these Bezielle flavonoids, and examined their possible roles in the selective anti-tumor cytotoxicity of Bezielle. Our results support the hypothesis that a major Scutellaria flavonoid, scutellarein, possesses many if not all of the biologically relevant properties of the total extract. Like Bezielle, scutellarein induced increasing levels of ROS of mitochondrial origin, progressive DNA damage, protein oxidation, depletion of reduced glutathione and ATP, and suppression of both OXPHOS and glycolysis. Like Bezielle, scutellarein was selectively cytotoxic towards cancer cells. Carthamidin, a flavonone found in Bezielle, also induced DNA damage and oxidative cell death. Two well known plant flavonoids, apigenin and luteolin, had limited and not selective cytotoxicity that did not depend on their pro-oxidant activities. We also provide evidence that the cytotoxicity of scutellarein was increased when other Bezielle flavonoids, not necessarily highly cytotoxic or selective on their own, were present. This indicates that the activity of total Bezielle extract might depend on a combination of several different compounds present within it