Anomalous self-diffusion in a freely evolving granular gas near the shearing instability

The self-diffusion coefficient of a granular gas in the homogeneous cooling state is analyzed near the shearing instability. Using mode-coupling theory, it is shown that the coefficient diverges logarithmically as the instability is approached, due to the coupling of the diffusion process with the shear modes. The divergent behavior, which is peculiar of granular gases and disappears in the elastic limit, does not depend on any other transport coefficient. The theoretical prediction is confirmed by molecular dynamics simulation results for two-dimensional systems

The health of SUSY after the Higgs discovery and the XENON100 data

We analyze the implications for the status and prospects of supersymmetry of the Higgs discovery and the last XENON data. We focus mainly, but not only, on the CMSSM and NUHM models. Using a Bayesian approach we determine the distribution of probability in the parameter space of these scenarios. This shows that, most probably, they are now beyond the LHC reach . This negative chances increase further (at more than 95% c.l.) if one includes dark matter constraints in the analysis, in particular the last XENON100 data. However, the models would be probed completely by XENON1T. The mass of the LSP neutralino gets essentially fixed around 1 TeV. We do not incorporate ad hoc measures of the fine-tuning to penalize unnatural possibilities: such penalization arises automatically from the careful Bayesian analysis itself, and allows to scan the whole parameter space. In this way, we can explain and resolve the apparent discrepancies between the previous results in the literature. Although SUSY has become hard to detect at LHC, this does not necessarily mean that is very fine-tuned. We use Bayesian techniques to show the experimental Higgs mass is at $\sim 2\ \sigma$ off the CMSSM or NUHM expectation. This is substantial but not dramatic. Although the CMSSM or the NUHM are unlikely to show up at the LHC, they are still interesting and plausible models after the Higgs observation; and, if they are true, the chances of discovering them in future dark matter experiments are quite high

Quantifying the tension between the Higgs mass and (g-2)_mu in the CMSSM

Supersymmetry has been often invoqued as the new physics that might reconcile the experimental muon magnetic anomaly, a_mu, with the theoretical prediction (basing the computation of the hadronic contribution on e^+ e^- data). However, in the context of the CMSSM, the required supersymmetric contributions (which grow with decreasing supersymmetric masses) are in potential tension with a possibly large Higgs mass (which requires large stop masses). In the limit of very large m_h supersymmetry gets decoupled, and the CMSSM must show the same discrepancy as the SM with a_mu . But it is much less clear for which size of m_h does the tension start to be unbearable. In this paper, we quantify this tension with the help of Bayesian techniques. We find that for m_h > 125 GeV the maximum level of discrepancy given current data (~ 3.3 sigma) is already achieved. Requiring less than 3 sigma discrepancy, implies m_h < 120 GeV. For a larger Higgs mass we should give up either the CMSSM model or the computation of a_mu based on e^+ e^-; or accept living with such inconsistency

Naturalness of MSSM dark matter

There exists a vast literature examining the electroweak (EW) fine-tuning problem in supersymmetric scenarios, but little concerned with the dark matter (DM) one, which should be combined with the former. In this paper, we study this problem in an, as much as possible, exhaustive and rigorous way. We have considered the MSSM framework, assuming that the LSP is the lightest neutralino, $\chi_1^0$, and exploring the various possibilities for the mass and composition of $\chi_1^0$, as well as different mechanisms for annihilation of the DM particles in the early Universe (well-tempered neutralinos, funnels and co-annihilation scenarios). We also present a discussion about the statistical meaning of the fine-tuning and how it should be computed for the DM abundance, and combined with the EW fine-tuning. The results are very robust and model-independent and favour some scenarios (like the h-funnel when $M_{\chi_1^0}$ is not too close to $m_h/2$) with respect to others (such as the pure wino case). These features should be taken into account when one explores "natural SUSY" scenarios and their possible signatures at the LHC and in DM detection experiments.Comment: 28 pages, 18 figures. References added, matches JHEP published versio

Integrability of natural Hamiltonian systems with homogeneous potentials of degree zero

We derive necessary conditions for integrability in the Liouville sense of natural Hamiltonian systems with homogeneous potential of degree zero. We derive these conditions through an analysis of the differential Galois group of variational equations along a particular solution generated by a non-zero solution \vd\in\C^n of nonlinear equations \grad V(\vd)=\vd. We proved that if the system integrable then the Hessian matrix V''(\vd) has only integer eigenvalues and is semi-simple.Comment: 13 page

Review of some statistical methods for constructing composite indicators

The methodology for the construction process of composite indicators is reviewed in a step-by-step approach ranging from the ex-ante definition of the latent variable that is intended to be measure, through the construction process of the composite indicators. We focus particularly on four aggregations methods in order analayze weighting and aggregation approach, Distance P_2, Principal Component Analysis, Data Envelopment Analysis and Mazziotta-Pareto Index. An empirical comparison among them is provided and the composite indices divergences are shown

Evaluation of metabolism and biosignaling in the angiogenic microenvironment as potential targets for therapeutic intervention

The "re-discovery" of Warburg effect at the turn of the present millennium has been a key determinant of the current renewed interest on cancer metabolism. In fact, metabolic reprogramming has been identified as one of the hallmarks of cancer. However, cancers grow in tight contact with non-tumoral accompanying cells and the surrounding extracellular matrix, as underlined by the concept of tumor microenvironment. Endothelial cells are key components of this tumor microenvironment, since they are requested for angiogenesis, another hallmark of cancer. In this complex system, rewiring of metabolism and signaling pathway in cancer, endothelial and other accompanying cell emerges as new potential targets for therapeutic intervention. In this communication, we will present the drug discovery and characterization approach of our group and our more recent results in this field, including new modeling with an evolutionary and ecological point of view.[Our experimental work is supported by grants BIO2014-56092-R (MINECO and FEDER) and P12-CTS-1507 (Andalusian Government and FEDER) and funds from group BIO-267 (Andalusian Government). The "CIBER de Enfermedades Raras" is an initiative from the ISCIII (Spain)]. This communication has the support of a travel grant "Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech"

DNA extraction from leaves of Vaccinium cylindraceum SMITH (Ericaceae). The use of RAPD markers to detect genetic variation. Preliminary results.

Vaccinium cylindraceum Smith is an endemic Ericaceae from Azores archipelago. This species is being produced by seed germination, micropropagation and stem cuttings. The produced plants are then reintroduced in their natural but disturbed environment and used to repopulate protected areas meanwhile infested with more or less invasive exotic flora. In order to protect the genetic variability within the species, a study of genetic variation between and within populations from different islands was started. DNA extraction was achieved on fresh, dried and criopreserved leaves and the First results using the PCR technique are also presented