Running with Triplets: How Slepton Masses Change With Doubly-Charged Higgses

We examine the slepton masses of SUSYLR models and how they change due the presence of light-doubly charged higgs bosons. We discover that the measurement of the slepton masses could bound and even predict the value of the third generation Yukawa coupling of leptons to the SU(2)_R Triplets. We also consider the unification prospects for this model with the addition of left-handed, B - L = 0 triplets--a model we call the Triplet Extended Supersymmetric Standard Model (TESSM). Finally, we discuss the changes in the slepton masses due to the presence of the SU(2)_L triplets.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures, 4 table

Improving Forecast Accuracy by Guided Manual Overwrite in Forecast Debiasing

We present ongoing work on a model-driven decision support system (DSS) that is aimed at providing guidance on reflecting and adjusting judgmental forecasts. We consider judgmental forecasts of cash flows generated by local experts in numerous subsidiaries of an international corporation. Forecasts are generated in a decentralized, non-standardized fashion, and corporate managers and controllers then aggregate the forecasts to derive consolidated, corporate-wide plans to manage liquidity and foreign exchange risk. However, it is well-known that judgmental predictions are often biased, where then statistical debiasing techniques can be applied to improve forecast accuracy. Even though debiasing can improve average forecast accuracy, many originally appropriate forecasts may be automatically corrected in the wrong direction, for instance, in cases where a forecaster might have considered knowledge on future events not derivable statistically from past time series. To prevent high-impact erroneous corrections, we propose to prompt a forecaster for action upon submission of a forecast that is out of the confidence bounds of a benchmark forecast. The benchmark forecast is derived from a statistical debiasing model that considers the past error patterns of a forecaster. Bounds correspond to percentiles of the error distribution of the debiased forecast. We discuss the determination of the confidence bounds and the selection of suspicious judgmental forecasts, types of (statistical) feedback to the forecasters, and the incorporation of the forecaster’s reactions (comments, revisions) in future debiasing strategies

Effect of the sample geometry on the second magnetization peak in single crystalline Ba0.63_{0.63}K0.37_{0.37}BiO3_3 thick film

Magnetization hysteresis loop $M(H)$ measurements performed on a single crystalline Ba$_{0.63}$K$_{0.37}$BiO$_3$ superconducting thick film reveal pronounced sample geometry dependence of the "second magnetization peak" (SMP), i.e. a maximum in the width of $M(H)$ occurring at the field $H_{\rm SMP}(T)$. In particular, it is found that the SMP vanishes decreasing the film dimension. We argue that the observed sample geometry dependence of the SMP cannot be accounted for by models which assume a vortex pinning enhancement as the origin of the SMP. Our results can be understood considering the thermomagnetic instability effect and/or non-uniform current distribution at $H < H_{\rm SMP}$ in large enough samples.Comment: 8 pages 3 figure

Tabebuia bahamensis: A Major Source of Pharmacologically Important Ursolic Acid

Leaves of Tabebuia bahamensis, collected on Abaco Island, Bahamas, were dried and extracted with dichloromethane to yield a crude extract. Using preparative flash column chromatography on silica gel, enabled the isolation of ursolic acid with an excellent yield of 2.06 percent based on the mass of dry leaves. Both the crude leaf extract and ursolic acid produced selective in-vitro cytotoxic activity on tumor cells from human mammary and bladder tissue. Ursolic acid also demonstrated antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus

Attenuation of Cytotoxic Natural Product DNA Intercalating Agents by Caffeine

Many anti-tumor drugs function by intercalating into DNA. The xanthine alkaloid caffeine can also intercalate into DNA as well as form π-π molecular complexes with other planar alkaloids and anti-tumor drugs. The presence of caffeine could interfere with the intercalating anti-tumor drug by forming π-π molecular complexes with the drug, thereby blocking the planar aromatic drugs from intercalating into the DNA and ultimately lowering the toxicity of the drug to the cancer cells. The cytotoxic activities of several known DNA intercalators (berberine, camptothecin, chelerythrine, doxorubicin, ellipticine, and sanguinarine) on MCF-7 breast cancer cells, both with and without caffeine present (200 μg/mL) were determined. Significant attenuation of the cytotoxicities by caffeine was found. Computational molecular modeling studies involving the intercalating anti-tumor drugs with caffeine were also carried out using density functional theory (DFT) and the recently developed M06 functional. Relatively strong π–π interaction energies between caffeine and the intercalators were found, suggesting an “interceptor” role of caffeine protecting the DNA from intercalation