Flavour Changing Neutral Currents and Inverted Sfermion Mass Hierarchy

We study the contraints on non-flavour-blind soft supersymmetry breaking terms coming from flavour and CP violating processes in the presence of hierarchical Yukawa couplings, and quantify how much these constraints are weakened in the regions of the MSSM parameter space characterized by heavy gauginos and multi-TeV sfermion masses, respectively. We also study the inverted sfermion mass hierarchy scenario in the context of D-term supersymmetry breaking, and show that generic hierarchical Yukawa couplings with arbitrary phases require first generation squarks in the few 10 TeV range.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures. Talk given at the XLth Rencontres de Moriond on Electroweak Interactions and Unified Theories, La Thuile, Aosta Valley, Italy, 5-12 March 2005. V3: one reference correcte

Uticaj -hidroksi--metilbutirata (hmb) dodavanog u hranu na imunitet i otpornost na bakterijske infekcije kod smuđa (sander lucioperca)

U ovoj studiji je ispitivan uticaj metabolita leucina β-hidroksi-β-metilbutirata (HMB) na imunitet i zaštitu od enterične bolesti crvenih usta (ERM) i furunkuloze kod smuđa (Sander lucioperca). Ribe su bile hranjene 18 sati dnevno komercijalnom hranom za pastrmke. Hrana je formulisana tako da obezbedi ili 0 (kontrolna grupa) ili 50 mg HBM/kg telesne težine na dan (grupa hranjena sa HBM) tokom 4 nedelje. Posle hranjenja sa HBM 20 zdravih smuđeva prosečne težine 35 g je anestezirano i uzeta je krv iz kaudalne vene u heparizovane špriceve. Takođe je aseptično izdvojen pronefros svake ribe i dobijena suspenzija pojedinačnih ćelija za izolovanje ćelija koristeći ili Gradisol (Polfa) ili Percoll (Pharmacia) gradijent. Test na izazivanje bolesti upotrebom Yersinia ruckeri ili Aeromonas salmonicida je obavljen 4 nedelje posle hranjenja. Ukratko, svakoj od 20 riba svake grupe data je jedna intraperitonealna injekcija 48 sati kulture Y.ruckeri ili A. salmonicida (0,2 ml). Zabeležen je mortalitet, a prisustvo patogena potvrđeno izolacijom iz bubrega. Rezultati ovog ogleda pokazuju da HBM u dozi od 50 mg/kg telesne težine statistički značajno stimuliše nespecifične ćelijske i humoralne odbrambene mehanizme i zaštitu od Yersinia ruckeri i Aeromonas salmonicida

Flavour anomalies and the muon g − 2 from feebly interacting particles

We perform a phenomenological analysis of simplified models of light, feebly interacting particles (FIPs) that can provide a combined explanation of the anomalies in b → sl$^{+}$l$^{-}$ transitions at LHCb and the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. Different scenarios are categorised according to the explicit momentum dependence of the FIP coupling to the b−s and μ−μ vector currents and they are subject to several constraints from flavour and precision physics. We show that viable combined solutions to the muon g − 2 and flavour anomalies exist with the exchange of a vector FIP with mass larger than 4 GeV. Interestingly, the LHC has the potential to probe this region of the parameter space by increasing the precision of the Z → 4μ cross-section measurement. Conversely, we find that solutions based on the exchange of a lighter vector, in the mV < 1 GeV range, are essentially excluded by a combination of B → K+ invisible and W-decay precision bounds

Precision Measurement of 11Li moments: Influence of Halo Neutrons on the 9Li Core

The electric quadrupole moment and the magnetic moment of the 11Li halo nucleus have been measured with more than an order of magnitude higher precision than before, |Q| = 33.3(5)mb and mu=3.6712(3)mu_N, revealing a 8.8(1.5)% increase of the quadrupole moment relative to that of 9Li. This result is compared to various models that aim at describing the halo properties. In the shell model an increased quadrupole moment points to a significant occupation of the 1d orbits, whereas in a simple halo picture this can be explained by relating the quadrupole moments of the proton distribution to the charge radii. Advanced models so far fail to reproduce simultaneously the trends observed in the radii and quadrupole moments of the lithium isotopes.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

Evaluating PET-CT in the detection and management of recurrent cervical cancer: Systematic reviews of diagnostic accuracy and subjective elicitation

Background: Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) is recommended to triage women for exenterative surgery and surveillance after treatment for advanced cervical cancer. Objective: To evaluate diagnostic accuracy of additional whole body PET-CT compared with CT/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) alone in women with suspected recurrent/persistent cervical cancer and in asymptomatic women as surveillance. Design: Systematic reviews. Subjective elicitation to supplement diagnostic information. Search strategy/Selection criteria/Data collection and analysis: Searches of electronic databases were performed to June 2013. Studies in women with suspected recurrent/persistent cervical cancer and in asymptomatic women undergoing follow up with sufficient numeric data were included. We calculated sensitivity, specificity and corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Meta-analyses employed a bivariate model that included a random-effects term for between-study variations (CT studies) and univariate random effects meta-analyses (PET-CT studies) for sensitivity and specificity separately. Subjective elicitation: Prevalence of recurrence and the accuracy of imaging elicited using the allocation of points technique. Coherence of elicited subjective probabilities with estimates in the literature examined. Results: We identified 15 relevant studies; none directly compared additional PET-CT with MRI or CT separately. Most CT and MRI studies used older protocols and the majority did not distinguish between asymptomatic and symptomatic women. Meta-analysis of nine PET-CT studies in mostly symptomatic women showed sensitivity of 94.8 (95% CI 91.2-96.9), and specificity of 86.9% (95% CI 82.2-90.5). The summary estimate of the sensitivity of CT for detection of recurrence was 89.64% (95% CI 81.59-94.41) and specificity was 76% (95% CI 43.68-92.82). Meta-analysis for MRI test accuracy studies was not possible because of clinical heterogeneity. The sensitivity and specificity of MRI in pelvic recurrence varied between 82 and 100% and between 78 and 100%, respectively. Formal statistical comparisons of the accuracy of index tests were not possible. Subjective elicitation provided estimates comparable to the literature. Subjective estimates of the increase in accuracy from the addition of PET-CT were less than elicited increases required to justify the use in PET-CT for surveillance. Conclusion: Evidence to support additional PET-CT is scarce, of average quality and does not distinguish between application for surveillance and diagnosis. Guidelines recommending PET-CT in recurrent cervical cancer need to be reconsidered in the light of the existing evidence base

Positron emission tomography/computerised tomography imaging in detecting and managing recurrent cervical cancer: systematic review of evidence, elicitation of subjective probabilities and economic modelling.

© Queen’s Printer and Controller of HMSO 2013. This work was produced by Meads et al. under the terms of a commissioning contract issued by the Secretary of State for Health. This issue may be freely reproduced for the purposes of private research and study and extracts (or indeed, the full report) may be included in professional journals provided that suitable acknowledgement is made and the reproduction is not associated with any form of advertising.Cancer of the uterine cervix is a common cause of mortality in women. After initial treatment women may be symptom free, but the cancer may recur within a few years. It is uncertain whether it is more clinically effective to survey asymptomatic women for signs of recurrence or to await symptoms or signs before using imaging.National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programm

Q-Value and Half-Lives for the Double-Beta-Decay Nuclide 110Pd

The 110Pd double-beta decay Q-value was measured with the Penning-trap mass spectrometer ISOLTRAP to be Q = 2017.85(64) keV. This value shifted by 14 keV compared to the literature value and is 17 times more precise, resulting in new phase-space factors for the two-neutrino and neutrinoless decay modes. In addition a new set of the relevant matrix elements has been calculated. The expected half-life of the two-neutrino mode was reevaluated as 1.5(6) E20 yr. With its high natural abundance, the new results reveal 110Pd to be an excellent candidate for double-beta decay studies