Production of Long-Lived Sleptons at LHC

We analyse the MSSM parameter space and discuss the narrow band near the so-called co-annihilation region where sleptons may be long-lived particles. This region is consistent with the WMAP restrictions on the Dark matter and depends on the value of $\tan\beta$. In this region staus are long-lived and may go through the detector. Due to a relatively small mass (150 $\div$ 850 GeV) their production cross-section at LHC may reach a few % pb.Comment: LaTex, 8 pages, 6 eps figure

Survival Rate and Morphological Growth Patterns of Five Populations of \u3cem\u3eFestuca dolichophylla\u3c/em\u3e Under Similar Conditions

The majority of the natural grasslands of Perú are located in the Puna region; they are the only source of feed for raising animals in this area, and they also protect the soil from erosion. Festuca dolichophylla is a representative species with high productivity in this ecosystem. The aim of this study was to evaluate survival rate and morphological growth patterns of five populations of Festuca dolichophylla under similar conditions. Five accessions were obtained from each population: Pastales Huando Peasant Community - Huancavelica (CCPH), Lachocc South American Camelids Research and Development Center of the National University of Huancavelica (CIDCSL), Junin, Pasco, and Puno. Six cuttings were obtained from each accession. They were planted in a block design in a uniform soil in the CCPH. After twelve months of establishment all plants were cut to five cm in height and survival rate was estimated. Plant height, number of stems, and leaf number were monitored twice a month; growth rate, stem emergence rate, and leaf emergence rate were calculated and data was analyzed for each month. Accessions from Puno had a 96.67% survival rate, which was significantly higher (p\u3c0.05) than accessions from CIDCSL (43.33% survival) but similar to accessions from the other populations. The morphological growth patterns showed differences between populations and high variability along the evaluation period; this variability and differences are likely due to the genetic constitution of each accession since the environment was similar. This information is crucial for further genetic breeding programs; however, first a morphologic and genetic characterization is necessary. We also observed an orderly growth of this species; first, the plants grow in size, then they increase their stem number, and finally the number of leaves increases. To our knowledge this is the first study that compares morphological growth patterns in different populations of Festuca dolichophylla under similar conditions

Expanding the etiologic spectrum of spastic ataxia syndrome: chronic infection with human T lymphotropic virus type 1

Infection with human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is in most cases indolent; however, some patients develop adult T cell leukemia, associated with poor prognosis, or the highly disabling and incurable HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) (Verdonck et al. 2007; Cooper et al. 2009). HTLV-1 is an endemic infection in Southern Japan, Iran, South America, the Caribbean basin, West Africa, and among aborigines in Australia (Verdonck et al. 2007). There are no established biomarkers to predict complications in HTLV-1; however, the percentage of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) harboring the provirus, called proviral load (PVL), and beta-2 microglobulin (β2M) in serum are surrogate biomarkers. Associations with neurological syndromes other than HAM/TSP have been claimed, including neuropathy, motor neuron disease (Araujo et al. 2019), as well as cerebellar ataxia (Iwasaki 4,5,6,; Kira et al. 1993; Gracia et al. 1995; e-1 to e-6). In the majority of reported cases, ataxia occurred in Japanese patients with HAM/TSP (Iwasaki 1990; Iwanaga 1993; Kira et al. 1993; e1, e-2, e-4, e-6). Here, we present an Iranian HTLV-1 positive patient with a cerebellar syndrome, elevated β2M in serum, and elevated neopterin and CXCL10 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

Long-lived Charginos in the Focus-point Region of the MSSM Parameter Space

We analyse the possibility to get light long-lived charginos within the framework of the MSSM with gravity mediated SUSY breaking. We find out that this possibility can be realized in the so-called focus-point region of parameter space. The mass degeneracy of higgsino-like chargino and two higgsino-like neutralinos is the necessary condition for a long lifetime. It requires the fine-tuning of parameters, but being a single additional constraint in the whole parameter space it can be fulfilled in the Constrained MSSM along the border line where radiative electroweak symmetry breaking fails. In a narrow band close to the border line the charginos are long-lived particles. The cross-sections of their production and co-production at the LHC via electroweak interaction reach a few tenth of pb.Comment: LaTeX, 11 pages, 11 eps figure

Hypospadias as a novel feature in spinal bulbar muscle atrophy

Spinal and bulbar muscle atrophy (SBMA) is an X-linked neuromuscular disorder caused by CAG repeat expansions in the androgen receptor (AR) gene. The SBMA phenotype consists of slowly progressive neuromuscular symptoms and undermasculinization features as the result of malfunction of the AR. The latter mainly includes gynecomastia and infertility. Hypospadias is also a feature of undermasculinization with an underdeveloped urethra and penis; it has not been described as part of the SBMA phenotype but has been suggested to be associated with a prolonged CAG repeat in the AR gene. This study includes the first epidemiologic description of the co-occurrence of hypospadias and SBMA in subjects and their male relatives in Swedish population-based health registers, as well as an additional clinical case. One boy with severe hypospadias was screened for mutations in the AR gene and was found to have 42 CAG repeats in it, which is in the full range of mutations causing SBMA later in life. We also detected a maximum of four cases displaying the combination of SBMA and hypospadias in our national register databases. This is the third case report with hypospadias in association with CAG repeat expansions in the AR gene in the full range known to cause SBMA later in life. Our findings suggest that hypospadias may be an under diagnosed feature of the SBMA phenotype and we propose that neurologists working with SBMA further investigate and report the true prevalence of hypospadias among patients with SBMA.Swedish Research Council, K2012-64X-14506-10-5Stockholm City CouncilFoundation Frimurare Barnhuset in StockholmSwedish Research Council through the Swedish Initiative for Research on Microdata in the Social And Medical Sciences (SIMSAM), 340-2013-5867Accepte

Efecto del poliacrilato de sodio (PANa) en la fase de preacondicionamiento del Pinus radiata en vivero

El proyecto tiene como objetivo evaluar el efecto del poliacrilato de Sodio (PANa) en el preacondicionamiento del Pinus radiata D. Don en vivero. El polímero (PANa y celulosa) se mezcló con el sustrato al momento de trasplantar 90 plantones de P. radiata en bolsas de 3000 ml, pero 90 plantas de trasplantaron sin la presencia del polímero (testigo), se evaluaron la calidad morfológica de las plántulas e índices de calidad, mediante un diseño unifactorial. Los resultados muestran que todas las variables evaluadas presentaron diferencias significativas (p ≤ 0,05), con excepción de la altura. Finalmente, el testigo presento un mayor desarrollo morfológico en comparación al tratamiento que contiene el polímero en el sustrato, debió al déficit de humedad al que fue sometido el tratamiento con presencia del polímero. La fase de preacondicionamiento no afectó el desarrollo morfológico del P. radiata en vivero debido al estrés hídrico al que fue sometido los plantones, pero se espera un impacto positivo en campo