Possible Tomography of the Sun's Magnetic Field with Solar Neutrinos

The data from solar neutrino experiments together with standard solar model predictions are used in order to derive the possible profile of the magnetic field inside the Sun, assuming the existence of a sizeable neutrino magnetic moment and the resonant spin flavour mechanism. The procedure is based on the relationship between resonance location and the energy dependent neutrino suppression, so that a large neutrino suppression at a given energy is taken to be connected to a large magnetic field in a given region of the Sun. In this way it is found that the solar field must undergo a very sharp increase by a factor of at least 6 - 7 over a distance no longer than 7 - 10% of the solar radius, decreasing gradually towards the surface. The range in which this sharp increase occurs is likely to be the bottom of the convective zone. There are also indications in favour of the downward slope being stronger at the start and more moderate on approaching the solar surface. Typical ranges for the magnetic moment are from a few times 10^{-13}\mu_B to its laboratory upper bounds while the mass square difference between neutrino flavours is of order (0.6-1.9) x 10^{-8}eV^2.Comment: Several minor corrections performed, sunspot anticorrelation discussed, references added, 29 pages including 8 figures in PostScrip

Baryogenesis through split Higgsogenesis

We study the cosmological evolution of asymmetries in the two-Higgs doublet extension of the Standard Model, prior to the electroweak phase transition. If Higgs flavour-exchanging interactions are sufficiently slow, then a relative asymmetry among the Higgs doublets corresponds to an effectively conserved quantum number. Since the magnitude of the Higgs couplings depends on the choice of basis in the :Higgs doublet space, we attempt to formulate basis-independent out-of-equilibrium conditions. We show that an initial asymmetry between the fliggs scalars, which could be generated by GP violation in the :Higgs sector, will be transformed into a baryon asymmetry by the sphalerons, without the need of B ¿ L violation. This novel mechanism of baryogenesis through (split) Higgsogenesis is exemplified with simple scenarios based on the out-of-equilibrium decay of heavy singlet scalar fields into the illiggs doublets

Zoning of water requirement satisfaction index for common bean in Mato Grosso

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was the agroclimatic zoning of common bean in the Mato Grosso state in the second harvest. Data from 38 meteorological stations in the state and in neighboring regions were used. The zoning was based on water requirement satisfaction index (WRSI) for the common bean crop, for the three levels of available water capacity of the soils of the state (30, 50 and 75 mm) in 12 sowing periods. After generating the indexes for the municipalities, the variograms of the data were fitted in order to enable interpolation of the data for the state. Data were entered into ArcGISTM 10.0 and the ordinary kriging interpolation method was used. After generating the maps, they were clipped to the Mato Grosso State and classified as the following WRSI classes: suitable (WRSI ≥ 0.65); restricted (0.55 < WRSI < 0.65) and unsuitable (WRSI ≤ 0.55) for the stage of flowering and grain filling. It was possible to interpolate only the ten-day periods 8 to 12, because from 1 to 7 all regions of the state are suitable for cultivation. The trend of the aptitude of sowing dates is similar to the movement of the air masses active in the state, with a northwest-southeast direction of displacement

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Aminoglycoside Nephrotoxicity in Intensive Care Units ▿

In order to assess the prevalence of and risk factors for aminoglycoside-associated nephrotoxicity in intensive care units (ICUs), we evaluated 360 consecutive patients starting aminoglycoside therapy in an ICU. The patients had a baseline calculated glomerular filtration rate (cGFR) of ≥30 ml/min/1.73 m2. Among these patients, 209 (58%) developed aminoglycoside-associated nephrotoxicity (the acute kidney injury [AKI] group, which consisted of individuals with a decrease in cGFR of >20% from the baseline cGFR), while 151 did not (non-AKI group). Both groups had similar baseline cGFRs. The AKI group developed a lower cGFR nadir (45 ± 27 versus 79 ± 39 ml/min/1.73 m2 for the non-AKI group; P < 0.001); was older (56 ± 18 years versus 52 ± 19 years for the non-AKI group; P = 0.033); had a higher prevalence of diabetes (19.6% versus 9.3% for the non-AKI group; P = 0.007); was more frequently treated with other nephrotoxic drugs (51% versus 38% for the non-AKI group; P = 0.024); used iodinated contrast more frequently (18% versus 8% for the non-AKI group; P = 0.0054); and showed a higher prevalence of hypotension (63% versus 44% for the non-AKI group; P = 0.0003), shock (56% versus 31% for the non-AKI group; P < 0.0001), and jaundice (19% versus 8% for the non-AKI group; P = 0.0036). The mortality rate was 44.5% for the AKI group and 29.1% for the non-AKI group (P = 0.0031). A logistic regression model identified as significant (P < 0.05) the following independent factors that affected aminoglycoside-associated nephrotoxicity: a baseline cGFR of <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 (odds ratio [OR], 0.42), diabetes (OR, 2.13), treatment with other nephrotoxins (OR, 1.61) or iodinated contrast (OR, 2.13), and hypotension (OR, 1.83). In conclusion, AKI was frequent among ICU patients receiving an aminoglycoside, and it was associated with a high rate of mortality. The presence of diabetes or hypotension and the use of other nephrotoxic drugs and iodinated contrast were independent risk factors for the development of aminoglycoside-associated nephrotoxicity