Higgs mass and QCD axion properties at high precision

This thesis is dedicated to study the physical properties at high precision of two scalars of well-motivated beyond the standard model theories: the Higgs boson in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM) and the axion of the Peccei-Quinn mechanism. The discussion is divided in two parts. We make use of the advantages of the effective field theory framework. In the first part, we consider the state-of-the-art of the effective field theory computation of the MSSM Higgs mass, improving the existing ones by including extra threshold corrections. We perform a detailed estimate of the theoretical uncertainty. We study the large tangent beta region and we put emphasis on the allowed parameter space reproducing the experimental value of the Higgs mass. We present SusyHD, a fast computer code that computes the Higgs mass and its uncertainty for any supersymmetry (SUSY) scale, from the TeV to the Planck scale, even in Split SUSY, both in the DRbar and in the on-shell (OS) schemes. Finally, we apply our results to derive bounds on some well motivated SUSY models, in particular we show how the value of the Higgs mass allows to determine the complete spectrum in minimal gauge mediation. In the second part, we discuss how to extract several properties of the axion of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) with great accuracy using only first principle QCD computations. We obtained the axion potential, the mass and the coupling to photons by combining next to leading order (NLO) calculations in chiral perturbation theory (ChPT) with recent Lattice QCD results. Axion-nucleon interactions are also derived reliably. The method we have followed allows to further improve the precision as uncertainties on the light quark masses and the effective field theory couplings are reduced. We have also studied the finite temperature dependence of the axion potential and its mass, in connection with its role in determining the axion relic abundance

Improved determination of the Higgs mass in the MSSM with heavy superpartners

We present several advances in the effective field theory calculation of the Higgs mass in MSSM scenarios with heavy superparticles. In particular, we compute the dominant two-loop threshold corrections to the quartic Higgs coupling for generic values of the relevant SUSY-breaking parameters, including all contributions controlled by the strong gauge coupling and by the third-family Yukawa couplings. We also study the effects of a representative subset of dimension-six operators in the effective theory valid below the SUSY scale. Our results will allow for an improved determination of the Higgs mass and of the associated theoretical uncertainty.Comment: 33 pages, 7 PDF figure

Photon Propagation in the Casimir Vacuum

A transformation that relates the Minkowskian space of the Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) vacuum between parallel conducting plates and the QED vacuum at finite temperature is obtained. From this formal analogy,the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the photon self-energy for the QED vacuum between parallel conducting plates (Casimir vacuum) are found in an approximation independent form. It leads to two different physical eigenvalues and three eigenmodes. We also apply the transformation to derive the low energy photons phase velocity in the Casimir vacuum from its expression in the QED vacuum at finite temperature.Comment: 4 pages, proceedings of the 1st Caribbean Symposium on Cosmology, Gravitation, Nuclear and Astroparticle Physics (STARS2011) and the 2nd International Symposium on Strong Electromagnetic Fields and Neutron Stars (SMFNS2011

Inhibiting HER3 Hyperphosphorylation in HER2‐Overexpressing Breast Cancer through Multimodal Therapy with Branched Gold Nanoshells

Treatment failure in breast cancers overexpressing human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is associated mainly to the upregulation of human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3) oncoprotein linked to chemoresitence. Therefore, to increase patient survival, here a multimodal theranostic nanoplatform targeting both HER2 and HER3 is developed. This consists of doxorubicin-loaded branched gold nanoshells functionalized with the near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent dye indocyanine green, a small interfering RNA (siRNA) against HER3, and the HER2-specific antibody Transtuzumab, able to provide a combined therapeutic outcome (chemo- and photothermal activities, RNA silencing, and immune response). In vitro assays in HER2+/HER3+ SKBR-3 breast cancer cells have shown an effective silencing of HER3 by the released siRNA and an inhibition of HER2 oncoproteins provided by Trastuzumab, along with a decrease of the serine/threonine protein kinase Akt (p-AKT) typically associated with cell survival and proliferation, which helps to overcome doxorubicin chemoresistance. Conversely, adding the NIR light therapy, an increment in p-AKT concentration is observed, although HER2/HER3 inhibitions are maintained for 72 h. Finally, in vivo studies in a tumor-bearing mice model display a significant progressively decrease of the tumor volume after nanoparticle administration and subsequent NIR light irradiation, confirming the potential efficacy of the hybrid nanocarrierE.V.-A. and I.G.-C. contributed equally to this work. This work was sup ported by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) through Project No. PID2019-109517RB-I00) and from the Xunta de Galicia, Project No. ED431C2022/18. European Regional Development Funds are also ac knowledged. A.A.-M. and P.T. also thank the International Scientific Part nership Program ISSP at King Saud University for additional funding of this research through Grant No. ISPP-144. This work also received fi nancial support from the ISCIII, Ministerio de Economía y Competitivi dad (Grant No. PI15/01129; J.A.C.), and the AEI (Grant No. PID2020- 113501RB-I00; J.A.C.). I.-G.C. thanks for financial support through Grant No. PRE/2011/131, and the Centro Singular de Investigación de Galicia accreditation Grant No. 2016–2019 ED431G/05)S

Metástasis ganglionares de osteosarcomas

En este artículo presentamos dos pa cientes con osteosarcoma osteoblástico de tercio distal de fémur que cursaron con afectación ganglionar loco - regional. En el primer caso, el paciente presentó dos metástasis ganglionares en re gión inguinal y pél vica dos años después del diagnóstico del tumor pri mario. Actualmente tres meses después de la linfadenectomía se encuentra libre de enfermedad. En el segundo caso, durante el estudio de extensión del tu mor primario, se observaron imá genes nodulares de alta densidad en zona inguinal derecha, que corres pondieron a metástasis del tumor primari

El sector de automoción en Castilla y León: componentes e industria auxiliar

[ES] Este trabajo de investigación tiene por objeto principal determinar la relevancia del espacio en las nuevas formas de organización productiva que se han ido implantado en la industria de automoción de Castilla y León a partir de la adhesión española a las Comunidades Europeas, con ánimo de exhaustividad. Exploraremos la capacidad del territorio castellano y leonés para explicar la localización de las actividades productivas existentes; para reforzar la localización de las empresas que conforman el tejido del sector; para atraer nuevas implantaciones empresariales; para evitar la deslocalización de plantas productivas

Biogeographical origin and timing of the founder ichthyosis TGM1 c.1187G > A mutation in an isolated Ecuadorian population

An unusually high frequency of the lamellar ichthyosis TGM1 mutation, c.1187G > A, has been observed in the Ecuadorian province of Manabi. Recently, the same mutation has been detected in a Galician patient (Northwest of Spain). By analyzing patterns of genetic variation around this mutation in Ecuadorian patients and population matched controls, we were able to estimate the age of c.1187G > A and the time to their most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) of c.1187G > A Ecuadorian carriers. While the estimated mutation age is 41 generations ago (~1,025 years ago [ya]), the TMRCA of Ecuadorian c.1187G > A carrier haplotypes dates to just 17 generations (~425 ya). Probabilistic-based inferences of local ancestry allowed us to infer a most likely European origin of a few (16% to 30%) Ecuadorian haplotypes carrying this mutation. In addition, inferences on demographic historical changes based on c.1187G > A Ecuadorian carrier haplotypes estimated an exponential population growth starting ~20 generations, compatible with a recent founder effect occurring in Manabi. Two main hypotheses can be considered for the origin of c.1187G > A: (i) the mutation could have arisen in Spain >1,000 ya (being Galicia the possible homeland) and then carried to Ecuador by Spaniards in colonial times ~400 ya, and (ii) two independent mutational events originated this mutation in Ecuador and Galicia. The geographic and cultural characteristics of Manabi could have favored a founder effect that explains the high prevalence of TGM1 c.1187G > A in this region

How Has the Aspergillosis Case Fatality Rate Changed over the Last Two Decades in Spain?

Background: Aspergillus produces high morbidity and mortality, especially in at-risk populations. In Spain, the evolution of mortality in recent years due to this fungus is not well established. The aim of this study was to estimate the case fatality rate of aspergillosis in inpatients from 1997 to 2017 in Spain. (2) Methodology: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted with records of inpatients admitted to the National Health System with a diagnosis of aspergillosis. (3) Principal findings: Of 32,960 aspergillosis inpatients, 24.5% of deaths were registered, and 71% of the patients who died were men. The percentage of deaths increased progressively with age. The case fatality rate progressively decreased over the period, from 25.4 and 27.8% in 1997–1998 to values of 20.6 and 20.8% in 2016 and 2017. Influenza and pneumonia occurrence/association significantly increased case fatality rates in all cases. (4) Conclusions: Our study shows that lethality significantly decreased in the last two decades despite the increase in cases. This highlights the fact that patients with solid and/or hematological cancer do not have a much higher mortality rate than the group of patients with pneumonia or influenza alone, these two factors being the ones that cause the highest CFRs. We also need studies that analyze the causes of mortality to decrease it and studies that evaluate the impact of COVID-19.Peer reviewe