The Minimal Supersymmetric Fat Higgs Model

We present a calculable supersymmetric theory of a composite ``fat'' Higgs boson. Electroweak symmetry is broken dynamically through a new gauge interaction that becomes strong at an intermediate scale. The Higgs mass can easily be 200-450 GeV along with the superpartner masses, solving the supersymmetric little hierarchy problem. We explicitly verify that the model is consistent with precision electroweak data without fine-tuning. Gauge coupling unification can be maintained despite the inherently strong dynamics involved in electroweak symmetry breaking. Supersymmetrizing the Standard Model therefore does not imply a light Higgs mass, contrary to the lore in the literature. The Higgs sector of the minimal Fat Higgs model has a mass spectrum that is distinctly different from the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, REVTe

Folded Supersymmetry and the LEP Paradox

We present a new class of models that stabilize the weak scale against radiative corrections up to scales of order 5 TeV without large corrections to precision electroweak observables. In these `folded supersymmetric' theories the one loop quadratic divergences of the Standard Model Higgs field are cancelled by opposite spin partners, but the gauge quantum numbers of these new particles are in general different from those of the conventional superpartners. This class of models is built around the correspondence that exists in the large N limit between the correlation functions of supersymmetric theories and those of their non-supersymmetric orbifold daughters. By identifying the mechanism which underlies the cancellation of one loop quadratic divergences in these theories, we are able to construct simple extensions of the Standard Model which are radiatively stable at one loop. Ultraviolet completions of these theories can be obtained by imposing suitable boundary conditions on an appropriate supersymmetric higher dimensional theory compactified down to four dimensions. We construct a specific model based on these ideas which stabilizes the weak scale up to about 20 TeV and where the states which cancel the top loop are scalars not charged under Standard Model color. Its collider signatures are distinct from conventional supersymmetric theories and include characteristic events with hard leptons and missing energy.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures, references correcte

Proteomic Analysis of Urine Exosomes Reveals Renal Tubule Response to Leptospiral Colonization in Experimentally Infected Rats

BACKGROUND: Infectious Leptospira colonize the kidneys of reservoir (e.g. rats) and accidental hosts such as humans. The renal response to persistent leptospiral colonization, as measured by urinary protein biosignatures, has not been systematically studied. Urinary exosomes--bioactive membrane-bound nanovesicles--contain cell-state specific cargo that additively reflect formation all along the nephron. We hypothesized that Leptospira-infection will alter the content of urine exosomes, and further, that these Leptospira-induced alterations will hold clues to unravel novel pathways related to bacterial-host interactions. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Exosome protein content from 24 hour urine samples of Leptospira-infected rats was compared with that of uninfected rats using SDS-PAGE and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Statistical models were used to identify significantly dysregulated proteins in Leptospira-infected and uninfected rat urine exosomes. In all, 842 proteins were identified by LC-MS/MS proteomics of total rat urine and 204 proteins associated specifically with exosomes. Multivariate analysis showed that 25 proteins significantly discriminated between uninfected control and infected rats. Alanyl (membrane) aminopeptidase, also known as CD13 topped this list with the highest score, a finding we validated by Western immunoblotting. Whole urine analysis showed Tamm-Horsfall protein level reduction in the infected rat urine. Total urine and exosome proteins were significantly different in male vs. female infected rats. CONCLUSIONS: We identified exosome-associated renal tubule-specific responses to Leptospira infection in a rat chronic colonization model. Quantitative differences in infected male and female rat urine exosome proteins vs. uninfected controls suggest that urine exosome analysis identifies important differences in kidney function that may be of clinical and pathological significance

COMBINED EFFECT OF ORGANIC MANURE AND POTASSIUM ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF ONION CV. BARI PIAZ-I

An experiment was conducted to find out the combined effect of cowdung and potassium on the growth and yield of onion cv. BARI piaz-I at Horticulture Farm, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during the period from December 2010 to March 2011. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The two factors experiment had four levels of cowdung, viz., 0, 5, 10 and 20 tons ha-1 and four levels of potassium, viz. 0, 50, 150 and 250 kg K ha-1 . Doses of cowdung and potassium showed significant variation in respect of all the parameters studied. The combination of 10 tons cowdung and 250 kg K ha-1 gave the tallest plant (46.60 cm), the highest number of leaves plant-1 (6.40), the highest length of bulb (3.27 cm), the highest diameter of bulb (4.83 cm), individual weight of bulb (51.23 g), dry matter content (12.66%) and yield of bulb ha -1 (12.83 tons); whereas the control treatment gave the shortest plant (38.15 cm), lowest number of leaves plant-1 (5.68), diameter of bulb (3.41), individual weight of bulb (35.65g) and gave lowest bulb yield ha-1 (9.16 tons)