Higgs effective Hlilj vertex from heavy νR and applications to LFV

The European Physical Society Conference on High Energy Physics 5-12 July, 2017 VeniceWe present a new computation of the Lepton Flavor Violating effective vertex involving the Higgs boson and two leptons with different flavors. This vertex is generated from the integration to oneloop level of the heavy right handed neutrinos which are considered here within the context of the Low Scale Seesaw Models and with masses close to the TeV scale. We apply the Mass Insertion Approximation technique to compute the loop contributions from these heavy νR and derive a symple analytical formula for the Hli lj effective vertex in terms of the input Yν Yukawa coupling matrix and right handed MR neutrino masses. Some interesting phenomenological applications of this Hli lj effective vertex are also includedWe thank our respective projects: FPA2016-78645-P (MINECO(Spain)/FEDER(EU)); ITN-ELUSIVES H2020-MSCA-ITN-2015//674896 (EU); ANPCyT PICT 2013-2266 (Argentina

Testing Supersymmetry with Lepton Flavor Violating tau and mu decays

In this work the following lepton flavor violating $\tau$ and $\mu$ decays are studied: $\tau^- \to \mu^- \mu^- \mu^+$, $\tau^- \to e^- e^- e^+$, $\mu^- \to e^- e^- e^+$, $\tau^- \to \mu^- \gamma$, $\tau^- \to e^- \gamma$ and $\mu^- \to e^- \gamma$. We work in a supersymmetric scenario consisting of the minimal supersymmetric standard model particle content, extended by the addition of three heavy right handed Majorana neutrinos and their supersymmetric partners, and where the generation of neutrino masses is done via the seesaw mechanism. Within this context, a significant lepton flavor mixing is generated in the slepton sector due to the Yukawa neutrino couplings, which is transmited from the high to the low energies via the renormalization group equations. This slepton mixing then generates via loops of supersymmetric particles significant contributions to the rates of $l_j \to 3 l_i$ and the correlated $l_j \to l_i \gamma$ decays. We analize here in full detail these rates in terms of the relevant input parameters, which are the usual minimal supergravity parameters and the seesaw parameters. For the $l_j \to 3 l_i$ decays, a full one-loop analytical computation of all the contributing supersymmetric loops is presented. This completes and corrects previous computations in the literature. In the numerical analysis compatibility with the most recent experimental upper bounds on all these $\tau$ and $\mu$ decays, with the neutrino data, and with the present lower bounds on the supersymmetric particle masses are required. Two typical scenarios with degenerate and hierarchical heavy neutrinos are considered. We will show here that the minimal supergravity and seesaw parameters do get important restrictions from these $\tau$ and $\mu$ decays in the hierarchical neutrino case.Comment: Version to appear in Physical Review

Monitoring and environmental risk assessment of pesticide residues and some of their degradation products in natural waters of the Spanish vineyard region included in the Denomination of Origin Jumilla

[EN] Water pollution by pesticides used in agriculture is currently a major concern both in Spain and in Europe as a whole, prompting the need to evaluate water quality and ecological risk in areas of intensive agriculture. This study involved monitoring pesticide residues and certain degradation products in surface and ground waters of the Denomination of Origin (DO) Jumilla vineyard area in Spain. Sixty-nine pesticides were selected and evaluated at twenty-one sampling points using a multi-residue analytical method, based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) and analysis by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS), providing reliable results. Twenty-six compounds from those selected were detected in the samples analyzed (eleven insecticides including one degradation product, nine herbicides, and six fungicides) and fifteen of them were found in concentrations over 0.1 μg L−1 (upper threshold established by the EU for pesticides detected in waters for human consumption). Indoxacarb was present in more than 70% of the samples, being the most frequently detected compound in water samples. Some pesticides were ubiquitous in all the water samples. Ecotoxicological risk indicators, toxic units (TUs) and risk quotients (RQs), for algae, Daphnia magna and fish were calculated to estimate the environmental risk of the presence of pesticides in waters. The compounds with the highest risk were the herbicides pendimethalin, with RQ values > 1 for the three aquatic organisms, and diflufenican, posing a high risk for algae and fish, and the insecticide chlorpyrifos, with a high risk for Daphnia magna and fish. The ∑TUi determined for water at each sampling point posed only a high risk for the three aquatic organisms in a sample. These results are important for considering the selection of pesticides with less environmental risk in intensive agricultural areas

Forest management scenarios drive future dynamics of Mediterranean planted pine forests under climate change

Context: Planted pine forests are highly abundant communities in the Mediterranean Basin. Being the result of past reforestation, these forests show high species and structural homogeneity. Diversification to conifer-broadleaved mixed forests is recommended to promote adaptation to climate change and increase their resilience to perturbations. Objectives: This study aims at evaluating how these planted pine forests will develop in the future as a result of the combined impacts of management and climate. Methods: We applied a forest landscape model (LANDIS-II) to simulate different climate scenarios and management strategies designed in cooperation with forest managers to assess their effects on the performance of planted pine forests and their change in terms of forest composition. Results: Climate change scenarios caused a shift in the phenological growth pattern of planted pine forests by reducing forest growth during summer and increasing photosynthetic productivity in spring and fall, particularly under high emission scenarios. Biomass increased through time and more strongly under climate change, but this increase differs among species, resulting in changes of forest types across the landscape. Our results portray natural succession as the main driver of forest change, but intensive management accelerated this process by limiting pine growth and promoting growth of oak species. Conclusions: Our results highlight the importance of active management on planted pine forests to favour mixed and climate-adapted ecosystems in shorter time scales than offered by succession alone. Moreover, our spatially explicit modelling approach helps to identify areas where lack of seed dispersal and/or competitive exclusion prevent natural diversification, providing useful recommendations for interventions. However, the modelling approach has some limitations since it does not consider natural disturbances

Design tool to predict the open-hole failure strength of composite laminates subjected to in-plane loads

A design tool based on Whitney-Nuismer model is proposed to predict the failure strength of open-hole composite plates subjected to in-plane loads, both tensile and compressive. One of the limitations of this model is the use of characteristic distances, which have to be estimated, and which are mostly considered constant material properties. In this work, it is demonstrated that these characteristic distances are a function of the plate geometry and are not a material property. Different analytical expressions are proposed to estimate the characteristic distances by using the results of only three experimental tests. This approach enables an accurate and fast estimation of the failure strength when the parameters of the plate are modified without using numerical simulations that require a longer time to be carried out.The authors are indebted for the financial support of this work to the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Spain (project DPI2013-42240-R).Publicad

Ecdysone-related biomarkers of toxicity in the model organism Chironomus riparius: stage and sex-dependent variations in gene expression profiles

Despite being considered a model organism in toxicity studies, particularly in assessing the environmental impact of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and other chemicals, the molecular basis of development is largely unknown in Chironomus riparius. We have characterized the expression patterns of important genes involved in the ecdysone pathway from embryos to pupa, but specially during the different phases of C. riparius fourth larval instar, according to the development of genital and thoracic imaginal discs. Real-Time PCR was used to analyze: EcR and usp, two genes encoding the two dimerizing partners of the functional ecdysone receptor; E74, an early response gene induced by ecdysteroids; vg (vitellogenin), an effector gene; hsp70 and hsc70, two heat-shock genes involved in the correct folding of the ecdysone receptor; and rpL13, as a part of the ribosomal machinery. Our results show for the first time stage and sex-dependent variations in ecdysone-responsive genes, specially during the late larval stage of C. riparius. The induction in the expression of EcR and usp during the VII-VIII phase of the fourth instar is concomitant with a coordinated response in the activity of the other genes analyzed, suggesting the moment where larvae prepare for pupation. This work is particularly relevant given that most of the analyzed genes have been proposed previously in this species as sensitive biomarkers for the toxicological evaluation of aquatic ecosystems. Identifying the natural regulation of these molecular endpoints throughout the Chironomus development will contribute to a more in-depth and accurate evaluation of the disrupting effects of EDCs in ecotoxicological studies.IO's research was funded by an FPI grant from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (http://www.idi.mineco.gob.es; CTM2009-07189). Research funding was provided by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (grant number CTM-2012-37547) and Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (grant number CGL2009-10868), SpainS

Pathological and virological findings in patients with persistent hypertransaminasaemia of unknown aetiology

BACKGROUND: The histopathological spectrum and role of hepatitis viruses in cases of hypertransaminasaemia of unknown aetiology have not been correctly analysed in a sufficiently large number of patients. METHODS: We studied 1075 consecutive patients referred for liver biopsy because of elevation of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels for more than six months. From this population we selected those cases in whom the aetiology could not be defined from clinical, biochemical, and serological data obtained before biopsy. In these patients liver biopsies were reviewed, and hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA were assayed in serum by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Serum hepatitis G virus (HGV)-RNA was determined by PCR in 74 patients. RESULTS: Of 1075 patients studied, the cause of the increased serum ALT levels remained elusive after appropriate testing in 109 patients (10.1%). Liver biopsies from these patients showed non-specific changes in 32.7% of cases, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in 15.8%, and chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis in 51.5%. HBV-DNA and/or HCV-RNA was detected more frequently in cryptogenic liver disease than in healthy blood donors (26.7% v 3.4%; p<0.001). HGV-RNA was found in only one patient. The proportion of cases with detectable HBV-DNA or HCV-RNA was 14.3% in patients with non-specific changes or NASH, 30.7% in patients with chronic hepatitis, and 61.5% in patients with cirrhosis. Cirrhosis was found more frequently in patients with positive HBV-DNA and/or HCV-RNA in serum than in those who tested negatively (p=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: In our series, patients in whom biochemical and serological data did not determine the aetiology of the disease represented 10% of all cases referred for liver biopsy for persistent elevation of serum transaminases. Approximately 50% of patients had chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis and the remainder had NASH or non-specific changes. Occult viral infections were found in a high proportion of cases in the first group and in a low percentage of patients in the second

Gas sensor based on room temperature optical properties of Surface QDs

Self-organized InGaAs QDs are intensively studied for optoelectronic applications. Several approaches are in study to reach the emission wavelengths needed for these applications. The use of antimony (Sb) in either the capping layer or into the dots is one example. However, these studies are normally focused on buried QD (BQD) where there are still different controversial theories concerning the role of Sb. Ones suggest that Sb incorporates into the dot [1], while others support the hypothesis that the Sb occupies positions surrounding the dot [2] thus helping to keep their shape during the capping growth

Accurate determination of the milk protein allergen β-lactoglobulin by on-line aptamer affinity solid-phase extraction capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry

An on-line aptamer affinity solid-phase extraction capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (AA-SPE-CE-MS) method was developed to purify, preconcentrate, separate, and characterize the milk allergenic protein β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) in food samples. The sorbent to pack into the SPE microcartidges was prepared by immobilizing an aptamer against β-LG onto magnetic bead particles. After optimizing the SPE-CE-MS method, the sample (ca. 75 µL) was loaded in separation background electrolyte (BGE, 2 M acetic acid pH 2.2), while a solution of 100 mM NH4OH (pH 11.2) (ca. 100 nL) was used for the protein elution. The linearity of the method ranged between 0.1 and 20 µg·mL-1 and the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.05 µg·mL-1, which was 200 times lower than by CE-MS. The method was repeatable in terms of relative standard deviation (RSD) for migration times and peak areas (< 0.5 % and 2.4 %, respectively) and microcartridge lifetime was more than 25 analyses. The applicability of the method for the determination of low levels of β-LG was shown by analyzing milk-free foods (i.e. a 100 % cocoa dark chocolate, a hypoallergenic formula for infants, and a dairy-free white bread) and milk-containing white breads. Results were satisfactory in all cases, thus demonstrating the great potential of the developed method for accurate food safety and quality control