SUSY-QCD corrections in the squark-gluino sector

A status report is given of the calculations of next-to-leading-order ($N=1$) supersymmetric QCD corrections to the production of squarks and gluinos in $p\bar{p}/pp$ collisions. The implementation of these SUSY-QCD corrections leads to more stable theoretical predictions and to a substantial increase of the production cross-sections. In addition we give a discussion of the use of the $\overline{MS}$ scheme for renormalizing the coupling constants in the QCD sector of ($N=1$) supersymmetric theories.Comment: 6 two-column pages, tar'ed gzip'ed uuencoded files, LaTeX, 7 Encapsulated Postscript figures, uses epsfig and espcrc2. To appear in the proceedings of the 1996 Zeuthen Workshop on Elementary Particle Theory: "QCD and QED in Higher Orders", J.Bl\"umlein, F.Jegerlehner, and T.Riemann eds. Complete postscript file available at http://rulgm4.LeidenUniv.nl/preprints.htm

Scalar one-loop integrals for QCD

We construct a basis set of infra-red and/or collinearly divergent scalar one-loop integrals and give analytic formulas, for tadpole, bubble, triangle and box integrals, regulating the divergences (ultra-violet, infra-red or collinear) by regularization in $D=4-2\epsilon$ dimensions. For scalar triangle integrals we give results for our basis set containing 6 divergent integrals. For scalar box integrals we give results for our basis set containing 16 divergent integrals. We provide analytic results for the 5 divergent box integrals in the basis set which are missing in the literature. Building on the work of van Oldenborgh, a general, publicly available code has been constructed, which calculates both finite and divergent one-loop integrals. The code returns the coefficients of $1/\epsilon^2,1/\epsilon^1$ and $1/\epsilon^0$ as complex numbers for an arbitrary tadpole, bubble, triangle or box integral.Comment: 27 pages, 5 figures, associated fortran code available at http://qcdloop.fnal.gov/. New version corrects typographical error in Eq. 5.

Stop decays in SUSY-QCD

The partial widths are determined for stop decays to top quarks and gluinos, and gluino decays to stop particles and top quarks (depending on the masses of the particles involved). The widths are calculated including one-loop SUSY-QCD corrections. The radiative corrections for these strong-interaction decays are compared with the SUSY-QCD corrections for electroweak stop decays to quarks and neutralinos/charginos and top-quark decays to stops and neutralinos.Comment: 20 pages, LaTeX, 8 figures (uses epsfig). Complete postscript file available at http://rulgm4.LeidenUniv.nl/preprints.htm

Gluon Radiation Off Scalar Stop Particles

We present the distributions for gluon radiation off stop-antistop particles produced in $e^+e^-$ annihilation: $e^+e^- \to \tilde t \bar{\tilde t} g$. For high energies the splitting functions of the fragmentation processes $\tilde t \to \tilde t g$ and $g \to \tilde t \bar{\tilde t}$ are derived; they are universal and apply also to high-energy stop particles produced at hadron colliders.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures as uuencoded ps files, Latex, uses epsfig, complete postscript version at ftp://x4u2.desy.de/pub/preprints/desy/1994/desy94-235.p

SUSY-QCD Decays of Squarks and Gluinos

The partial widths are determined for squark decays to gluinos and quarks, and gluino decays to squarks and quarks, respectively. The widths are calculated including one-loop SUSY-QCD corrections. The corrections amount to $+$30\% to $+$50\% for squark decays and $-$10\% to $+$10\% for gluino decays. We have derived the results in the \DR ~and \MS ~renormalization schemes, and we have demonstrated explicitly that the one-loop effective $qqg$ and q\sq\gl couplings are equal in the limit of exact supersymmetry.Comment: 11 pages, Latex2e, 2 figures (uses epsfig). Complete postscript file available at http://www.desy.de/pub/preprints/desy/1996/desy96-022.p

Gluino-Pair Production at the Tevatron

The next-to-leading order QCD corrections to the production of gluino pairs at the Tevatron are presented in this paper. Similar to the production of squark-antisquark pairs, the dependence of the cross section on the renormalization/factorization scale is reduced considerably by including the higher-order corrections. The cross section increases with respect to the lowest-order calculation which, in previous experimental analyses, had been evaluated at the scale of the invariant energy of the partonic subprocesses.Comment: 10 pages, Latex, 4 eps-files in uu-format (uses epsfig), the complete postscript file is available via anonymous ftp at ftp://x4u2.desy.de/pub/preprints/desy/1995/desy95-104.p

Adenosine induces growth-cone turning of sensory neurons

The formation of appropriate connections between neurons and their specific targets is an essential step during development and repair of the nervous system. Growth cones are located at the leading edges of the growing neurites and respond to environmental cues in order to be guided to their final targets. Directional information can be coded by concentration gradients of substrate-bound or diffusible-guidance molecules. Here we show that concentration gradients of adenosine stimulate growth cones of sensory neurons (dorsal root ganglia) from chicken embryos to turn towards the adenosine source. This response is mediated by adenosine receptors. The subsequent signal transduction process involves cAMP. It may be speculated that the in vivo function of this response is concerned with the formation or the repair and regeneration of the peripheral nervous system

The Centrosomal Kinase Plk1 Localizes to the Transition Zone of Primary Cilia and Induces Phosphorylation of Nephrocystin-1

Polo-like kinase (Plk1) plays a central role in regulating the cell cycle. Plk1-mediated phosphorylation is essential for centrosome maturation, and for numerous mitotic events. Although Plk1 localizes to multiple subcellular sites, a major site of action is the centrosomes, which supports mitotic functions in control of bipolar spindle formation. In G0 or G1 untransformed cells, the centriolar core of the centrosome differentiates into the basal body of the primary cilium. Primary cilia are antenna-like sensory organelles dynamically regulated during the cell cycle. Whether Plk1 has a role in ciliary biology has never been studied. Nephrocystin-1 (NPHP1) is a ciliary protein; loss of NPHP1 in humans causes nephronophthisis (NPH), an autosomal-recessive cystic kidney disease. We here demonstrate that Plk1 colocalizes with nephrocystin-1 to the transition zone of primary cilia in epithelial cells. Plk1 co-immunoprecipitates with NPHP1, suggesting it is part of the nephrocystin protein complex. We identified a candidate Plk1 phosphorylation motif (D/E-X-S/T-φ-X-D/E) in nephrocystin-1, and demonstrated in vitro that Plk1 phosphorylates the nephrocystin N-terminus, which includes the specific PLK1 phosphorylation motif. Further, induced disassembly of primary cilia rapidly evoked Plk1 kinase activity, while small molecule inhibition of Plk1 activity or RNAi-mediated downregulation of Plk1 limited the first and second phase of ciliary disassembly. These data identify Plk1 as a novel transition zone signaling protein, suggest a function of Plk1 in cilia dynamics, and link Plk1 to the pathogenesis of NPH and potentially other cystic kidney diseases