Exploring the Higgs Portal with 10/fb at the LHC

We consider the impact of new exotic colored and/or charged matter interacting through the Higgs portal on Standard Model Higgs boson searches at the LHC. Such Higgs portal couplings can induce shifts in the effective Higgs-gluon-gluon and Higgs-photon-photon couplings, thus modifying the Higgs production and decay patterns. We consider two possible interpretations of the current LHC Higgs searches based on ~ 5/fb of data at each detector: 1) a Higgs boson in the mass range (124-126) GeV and 2) a `hidden' heavy Higgs boson which is underproduced due to the suppression of its gluon fusion production cross section. We first perform a model independent analysis of the allowed sizes of such shifts in light of the current LHC data. As a class of possible candidates for new physics which gives rise to such shifts, we investigate the effects of new scalar multiplets charged under the Standard Model gauge symmetries. We determine the scalar parameter space that is allowed by current LHC Higgs searches, and compare with complementary LHC searches that are sensitive to the direct production of colored scalar states.Comment: 27 pages, 11 figures; v2: references added, correction to scalar form factor, numerical results updated with Moriond 2012 data, conclusions unchange

Dynamical Boson Stars

The idea of stable, localized bundles of energy has strong appeal as a model for particles. In the 1950s John Wheeler envisioned such bundles as smooth configurations of electromagnetic energy that he called {\em geons}, but none were found. Instead, particle-like solutions were found in the late 1960s with the addition of a scalar field, and these were given the name {\em boson stars}. Since then, boson stars find use in a wide variety of models as sources of dark matter, as black hole mimickers, in simple models of binary systems, and as a tool in finding black holes in higher dimensions with only a single killing vector. We discuss important varieties of boson stars, their dynamic properties, and some of their uses, concentrating on recent efforts.Comment: 79 pages, 25 figures, invited review for Living Reviews in Relativity; major revision in 201

Mucosal Leishmaniasis Caused by Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis and Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis in the Brazilian Amazon

Background: Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis is a parasite recognized as the most important etiologic agent of mucosal leishmaniasis (ML) in the New World. In Amazonia, seven different species of Leishmania, etiologic agents of human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, have been described. Isolated cases of ML have been described for several different species of Leishmania: L. (V.) panamensis, L. (V.) guyanensis and L. (L.) amazonensis. Methodology: Leishmania species were characterized by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of tissues taken from mucosal biopsies of Amazonian patients who were diagnosed with ML and treated at the Tropical Medicine Foundation of Amazonas (FMTAM) in Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil. Samples were obtained retrospectively from the pathology laboratory and prospectively from patients attending the aforementioned tertiary care unit. Results: This study reports 46 cases of ML along with their geographical origin, 30 cases caused by L. (V.) braziliensis and 16 cases by L. (V.) guyanensis. This is the first record of ML cases in 16 different municipalities in the state of Amazonas and of simultaneous detection of both species in 4 municipalities of this state. It is also the first record of ML caused by L. (V.) guyanensis in the states of Para, Acre, and Rondonia and cases of ML caused by L. (V.) braziliensis in the state of Rondonia. Conclusions/Significance: L. (V.) braziliensis is the predominant species that causes ML in the Amazon region. However, contrary to previous studies, L. (V.) guyanensis is also a significant causative agent of ML within the region. The clinical and epidemiological expression of ML in the Manaus region is similar to the rest of the country, although the majority of ML cases are found south of the Amazon River.SUFRAMA[016/2004

Smoking reduces surfactant protein D and phospholipids in patients with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pulmonary surfactant D (SP-D) has important regulatory functions for innate immunity and has been implicated as a biomarker for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We hypothesized that COPD patients would have reduced bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid SP-D levels compared to healthy smoking and non-smoking controls.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>BAL SP-D and phospholipids were quantified and corrected for dilution in 110 subjects (65 healthy never smokers, 23 smokers with normal spirometry, and 22 smokers with COPD).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>BAL SP-D was highest in never smokers (mean 51.9 μg/mL ± 7.1 μg/mL standard error) compared to both smokers with normal spirometry (16.0 μg/mL ± 11.8 μg/mL) and subjects with COPD (19.1 μg/mL ± 12.9 μg/mL; P < 0.0001). Among smokers with COPD, BAL SP-D correlated significantly with FEV₁% predicted (R = 0.43; P < 0.05); however, the strongest predictor of BAL SP-D was smoking status. BAL SP-D levels were lowest in current smokers (12.8 μg/mL ± 11.0 μg/mL), intermediate in former smokers (25.2 μg/mL ± 14.2 μg/mL; P < 0.008), and highest in never smokers. BAL phospholipids were also lowest in current smokers (6.5 nmol ± 1.5 nmol), intermediate in former smokers (13.1 nmol ± 2.1 nmol), and highest in never smokers (14.8 nmol ± 1.1 nmol; P < 0.0001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These data suggest that smokers, and especially current smokers, exhibit significantly reduced BAL SP-D and phospholipids compared to nonsmokers. Our findings may help better explain the mechanism that leads to the rapid progression of disease and increased incidence of infection in smokers.</p

Fermentation of deproteinized cheese whey powder solutions to ethanol by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae : effect of supplementation with corn steep liquor and repeated-batch operation with biomass recycling by flocculation

The lactose in cheese whey is an interesting substrate for the production of bulk commodities such as bio-ethanol, due to the large amounts of whey surplus generated globally. In this work, we studied the performance of a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain expressing the lactose permease and intracellular ß-galactosidase from Kluyveromyces lactis in fermentations of deproteinized concentrated cheese whey powder solutions. Supplementation with 10 g/l of corn steep liquor significantly enhanced whey fermentation, resulting in the production of 7.4% (v/v) ethanol from 150 g/l initial lactose in shake-flask fermentations, with a corresponding productivity of 1.2 g/l/h. The flocculation capacity of the yeast strain enabled stable operation of a repeated-batch process in a 5.5-l air-lift bioreactor, with simple biomass recycling by sedimentation of the yeast flocs. During five consecutive batches, the average ethanol productivity was 0.65 g/l/h and ethanol accumulated up to 8% (v/v) with lactose-toethanol conversion yields over 80% of theoretical. Yeast viability (>97%) and plasmid retention (>84%) remained high throughout the operation, demonstrating the stability and robustness of the strain. In addition, the easy and inexpensive recycle of the yeast biomass for repeated utilization makes this process economically attractive for industrial implementation.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)LACTOGAL-Produtos Alimentares S.A.Companhia Portuguesa de Amidos, S.A