Enhancement of lepton flavor violation in a model with bi-maximal mixing at the grand unification scale

We study phenomenological predictions in the scenario with the quasi-degenerate relation among neutrino Dirac masses, m_D1 simeq m_D2 < m_D3, assuming the bi-maximal mixing at the grand unification scale in supersymmetric standard models with right-handed neutrinos. A sufficient lepton number asymmetry can be produced for successful leptogenesis. The lepton flavor violating process mu to e gamma can be enhanced due to the Majorana phase, so that it can be detectable at forthcoming experiments. The processes tau to e gamma and tau to mu gamma are suppressed because of the structure of neutrino Dirac masses, and their branching ratios are smaller than that of mu to e gamma.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure

Phase effects from the general neutrino Yukawa matrix on lepton flavor violation

We examine contributions from Majorana phases to lepton flavor violating processes in the framework of the minimal supersymmetric standard model with heavy right-handed neutrinos. All phases in the complex neutrino Yukawa matrix are taken into account in our study. We find that in the scenario with universal soft-breaking terms sizable phase effects can appear on the lepton flavor violating processes such as $\mu \to e \gamma$, $\tau \to e \gamma$, and $\tau \to \mu \gamma$. In particular, the branching ratio of $\mu \to e \gamma$ can be considerably enhanced due to the Majorana phases, so that it can be much greater than that of $\tau \to \mu \gamma$.Comment: 14 pages, 4 eps figures, revtex

Induction of tumour necrosis factor receptor-expressing macrophages by interleukin-10 and macrophage colony-stimulating factor in rheumatoid arthritis

Despite its potent ability to inhibit proinflammatory cytokine synthesis, interleukin (IL)-10 has a marginal clinical effect in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Recent evidence suggests that IL-10 induces monocyte/macrophage maturation in cooperation with macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF). In the present study, we found that the inducible subunit of the IL-10 receptor (IL-10R), type 1 IL-10R (IL-10R1), was expressed at higher levels on monocytes in RA than in healthy controls, in association with disease activity, while their expression of both type 1 and 2 tumour necrosis factor receptors (TNFR1/2) was not increased. The expression of IL-10R1 but not IL-10R2 was augmented on monocytes cultured in the presence of RA synovial tissue (ST) cell culture supernatants. Cell surface expression of TNFR1/2 expression on monocytes was induced by IL-10, and more efficiently in combination with M-CSF. Two-color immunofluorescence labeling of RA ST samples showed an intensive coexpression of IL-10R1, TNFR1/2, and M-CSF receptor in CD68(+ )lining macrophages. Adhered monocytes, after 3-day preincubation with IL-10 and M-CSF, could produce more IL-1β and IL-6 in response to TNF-α in the presence of dibutyryl cAMP, as compared with the cells preincubated with or without IL-10 or M-CSF alone. Microarray analysis of gene expression revealed that IL-10 activated various genes essential for macrophage functions, including other members of the TNFR superfamily, receptors for chemokines and growth factors, Toll-like receptors, and TNFR-associated signaling molecules. These results suggest that IL-10 may contribute to the inflammatory process by facilitating monocyte differentiation into TNF-α-responsive macrophages in the presence of M-CSF in RA

Social communication impairments and restricted, repetitive patterns ("Kodawari") considered from the "Comprehension" section of the WISC-IV in autism spectrum disorder

Background: Many studies have used the Wechsler Intelligence Scale (WISC) to examine the characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, most studies have been based on profile analysis, not on content analysis. Objective: The objective of the present study was to apply the WISC-IV to clinical assessment of ASD and clarify how the characteristics of the disorder were reflected in specific items. Methods: The study participants were 20 patients aged 5-16 years diagnosed with ASD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). We recruited 20 patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 20 patients with other disorders (neurotic disorders) as controls. We then compared the scores of the ninth item of the WISC-IV ("Comprehension") among the three groups. Results: The differences observed between the ASD vs. the other disorders group were not significant by the standard scoring method. Thus, a two-level scoring method of 0 and ≥1 point was adopted. As a result, significantly more participants in the ASD group scored 0 points compared with the ADHD and other disorders grou

Search for Lepton Flavor Violation in the Higgs Boson Decay at a Linear Collider

We discuss possibility of direct search for lepton flavor violation (LFV) in Yukawa interaction by measuring the branching ratio for the decay of the lightest Higgs boson ($h^0$) into a $\tau$-$\mu$ pair at a linear collider. We study the significance of the signal process, $e^+e^- \to Z^\ast \to Z h^0 \to Z \tau^\pm \mu^\mp$, against the backgrounds such as $e^{+}e^{-} \to Z \tau^{+}\tau^{-} \to Z \tau^{\pm}\mu^{\mp}+$ missings. After taking appropriate kinematic cuts, the number of the background event is considerably reduced, so that the signal can be visible when the branching ratio of $h^0 \to \tau^\pm \mu^\mp$ is larger than about $10^{-4}$. In a Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model scenario, the effective coupling of $h^0 \tau^\pm \mu^\mp$ can be generated at loop level due to the slepton mixing. When supersymmetric mass parameters are larger than TeV scales, the branching ratio can be as large as several times $10^{-4}$. Therefore, the signal can be marginally visible at a LC. In the general two Higgs doublet model, the possible maximal value for the branching ratio of $h^0 \to \tau^\pm \mu^\mp$ can reach to a few times $10^{-3}$ within the available experimental bound, so that we can obtain larger significance.Comment: 14 pages 3 figures, REVTEX4, version accepted for publication in Physics Letters

The association of C-reactive protein with an oxidative metabolite of LDL and its implication in atherosclerosis

C-reactive protein (CRP) is one of the strongest independent predictors of cardiovascular disease. We have previously reported that oxidized LDL (oxLDL) interacts with beta 2-glycoprotein I (beta 2GPI), implicating oxLDL/P2GPI complexes as putative autoantigens in autoimmune-mediated atherosclerotic vascular disease. In this study, we investigated the interaction of CRP with oxLDL/beta 2GPI complexes and its association with atherosclerosis in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). CRP/oxLDL/R2GPI complexes were predominantly found in sera of DM patients with atherosclerosis. In contrast, noncomplexed CRP isoforms were present in sera of patients with acute/chronic inflammation, i.e., various pyrogenic diseases, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and DM. Immunohistochemistry staining colocalized CRP and beta 2GPI together with oxLDL in carotid artery plaques but not in synovial tissue from RA patients, strongly suggesting that complex formation occurs during the development of adierosclerosis. Serum levels of CRP correlated with soluble forms of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and oxLDL/beta 2GPI complexes correlated with total cholesterol and hemoglobin Al c. Thus, the generation of CRP/oxLDL/beta 2GPI complexes seems to be associated with arterial inflammation, hyperglycemia, and hypercholesterolemia. CRP/oxLDL/R2GPI complexes can be distinguished from pyrogenic noncomplexed CRP isoforms and may represent a more specific and predictive marker for atherosclerosis