Resonant CP Violation in Higgs Radiation at e^+e^- Linear Collider

We study resonant CP violation in the Higgsstrahlung process e^+e^- -> H_{1,2,3} (Z -> e^+e^-, \mu^+\mu^-) and subsequent decays H_{1,2,3} -> b \bar{b}, \tau^-\tau^+, in the MSSM with Higgs-sector CP violation induced by radiative corrections. At a high-energy e^+e^- linear collider, the recoil-mass method enables one to determine the invariant mass of a fermion pair produced by Higgs decays with a precision as good as 1 GeV. Assuming an integrated luminosity of 100/fb, we show that the production lineshape of a coupled system of neutral Higgs bosons decaying into b\bar{b} quarks is sensitive to the CP-violating parameters. When the Higgs bosons decay into \tau^-\tau^+, two CP asymmetries can be defined using the longitudinal and transverse polarizations of the tau leptons. Taking into account the constraints from electric dipole moments, we find that these CP asymmetries can be as large as 80 %, in a tri-mixing scenario where all three neutral Higgs states of the MSSM are nearly degenerate and mix significantly.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

β-thalassemia Intermedia In A Brazilian Patient With - 101 (c > T) And Codon 39 (c > T) Mutations

Context: We verified molecular alterations in a 72-year-old Brazilian male patient with a clinical course of homozygous β-thalassemia intermedia, who had undergone splenectomy and was surviving without regular blood transfusions. The blood cell count revealed microcytic and hypochromic anemia (hemoglobin = 6.5 g/dl, mean cell volume = 74 ft, mean cell hemoglobin = 24 pg) and hemoglobin electrophoresis showed fetal hemoglobin = 1.3%, hemoglobin A 2 = 6.78% and hemoglobin A = 79.4%. Objective: To identify mutations in a patient with the symptoms of β-thalassemia intermedia. Design: Molecular inquiry into the mutations possibly responsible for the clinical picture described. Setting: The structural molecular biology and genetic engineering center of the Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil. Procedures: DNA extraction was performed on the patient's blood samples. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was done using five specific primers that amplified exons and the promoter region of the β globin gene. The samples were sequenced and then analyzed via computer programs. Results: Two mutations that cause the disease were found: -101 (C > T) and codon 39 (C > T). Conclusions: This cases represents the first description of -101 (C > T) mutation in a Brazilian population and it is associated with a benign clinical course.12112830Baysal, E., Carver, M.F.H., The beta and delta-thalassemia repository (1995) Hemoglobin., 19 (3-4), pp. 213-236Zago, M.A., Costa, F., Bottura, C., Beta-thalassemia in Brazil (1981) Braz. J. Med. Biol. Res., 14 (6), pp. 383-388Ewing, B., Green, P., Base-calling of automated sequencer traces using Phred. II Error probabilities (1998) Genome Res., 8 (3), pp. 186-194Green, P., (2002), http://bozeman.genome.washington.edu/phrap.docs/phrap.html, The Phred/Phrap/Consed System Home Page. Phrap Assembler. Available at URL September 30Gordon, D., Abajian, C., Green, P., Consed: A graphical tool for sequence finishing (1998) Genome Res., 8 (3), pp. 195-20

In silico identification of potential chaperone genes that belong to type III and type IV secretion systems in Xanthomonas axonopodis pv citri

The secretion of bacterial virulence factors and flagellar components requires the assistance of specific type III and flagellar chaperones. Standard computational annotation of the genome of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv citri, a plant pathogen that causes citrus canker, initially did not identify any genes belonging to these chaperone categories since the primary sequence homology between them was very low. However, in a search for hypothetical proteins with characteristics similar to these chaperones, we have now identified 30 chromosomal and 10 plasmidial potential genes encoding chaperones belonging to types III/IV, and flagellar secretion systems in this organism. The significance of these findings is discussed.28232132

210Po Log-normal distribution in human urines: Survey from Central Italy people

The death in London of the former secret service agent Alexander Livtinenko on 23 November 2006 generally attracted the attention of the public to the rather unknown radionuclide 210Po. This paper presents the results of a monitoring programme of 210Po background levels in the urines of noncontaminated people living in Central Italy (near the Republic of S. Marino). The relationship between age, sex, years of smoking, number of cigarettes per day, and 210Po concentration was also studied. The results indicated that the urinary 210Po concentration follows a surprisingly perfect Log-normal distribution. Log 210Po concentrations were positively correlated to age (p < 0.0001), number of daily smoked cigarettes (p = 0.006), and years of smoking (p = 0.021), and associated to sex (p = 0.019). Consequently, this study provides upper reference limits for each sub-group identified by significantly predictive variables

Vacuum-ultraviolet photoabsorption imaging system for laser plasma plume diagnostics

We describe a recently designed and constructed system based on a 1 m normal incidence vacuum monochromator with corrected (toroidal) optics that produces a wavelength tuneable and collimated vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) (λ=30–100 nm) beam. The VUV continuum source is a laser-generated gold plasma. The primary function of the system is the measurement of time resolved “images” or spatial distributions of photoabsorption/photoionization in expanding laser plasma plumes. This is achieved by passing the beam through the sample of interest (in our case a second synchronised plasma) and recording the “footprint” of the attenuated beam on a charge coupled device. Using this VUV photoabsorption imaging or “shadowgraphy” technique we track and extract column density distributions in expanding plasma plumes. We can also measure the plume front velocity. We have characterized the system, particularly in relation to spectral and spatial resolution and the experimental results meet very well the expectations from ray tracing done at the design phase. We present first photoabsorption images and column density distributions of laser produced Ca plumes from the system

Why Do States Develop Multi-tier Emigrant Policies? Evidence from Egypt

Why do states vary their policies towards their citizens abroad, and why are some emigrant groups treated preferentially to others? The literature on the politics of international migration has yet to explore this as a separate field of inquiry, assuming that states adopt a single policy that encourages, sustains or prevents emigration abroad. Yet, in the case of Egypt, the state developed a multi-tiered policy that distinctly favoured specific communities abroad over others. I hypothesise that policy differentiation is based upon the perceived utility of the emigrant group remaining abroad versus the utility of its return. This utility is determined by two factors: the sending state’s domestic political economy priorities and its foreign policy objectives

A putative relay circuit providing low-threshold mechanoreceptive input to lamina I projection neurons via vertical cells in lamina II of the rat dorsal horn

Background: Lamina I projection neurons respond to painful stimuli, and some are also activated by touch or hair movement. Neuropathic pain resulting from peripheral nerve damage is often associated with tactile allodynia (touch-evoked pain), and this may result from increased responsiveness of lamina I projection neurons to non-noxious mechanical stimuli. It is thought that polysynaptic pathways involving excitatory interneurons can transmit tactile inputs to lamina I projection neurons, but that these are normally suppressed by inhibitory interneurons. Vertical cells in lamina II provide a potential route through which tactile stimuli can activate lamina I projection neurons, since their dendrites extend into the region where tactile afferents terminate, while their axons can innervate the projection cells. The aim of this study was to determine whether vertical cell dendrites were contacted by the central terminals of low-threshold mechanoreceptive primary afferents. Results: We initially demonstrated contacts between dendritic spines of vertical cells that had been recorded in spinal cord slices and axonal boutons containing the vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1), which is expressed by myelinated low-threshold mechanoreceptive afferents. To confirm that the VGLUT1 boutons included primary afferents, we then examined vertical cells recorded in rats that had received injections of cholera toxin B subunit (CTb) into the sciatic nerve. We found that over half of the VGLUT1 boutons contacting the vertical cells were CTb-immunoreactive, indicating that they were of primary afferent origin. Conclusions: These results show that vertical cell dendritic spines are frequently contacted by the central terminals of myelinated low-threshold mechanoreceptive afferents. Since dendritic spines are associated with excitatory synapses, it is likely that most of these contacts were synaptic. Vertical cells in lamina II are therefore a potential route through which tactile afferents can activate lamina I projection neurons, and this pathway could play a role in tactile allodynia