Discriminating among the theoretical origins of new heavy Majorana neutrinos at the CERN LHC

A study on the possibility of distinguishing new heavy Majorana neutrino models at LHC energies is presented. The experimental confirmation of standard neutrinos with non-zero mass and the theoretical possibility of lepton number violation find a natural explanation when new heavy Majorana neutrinos exist. These new neutrinos appear in models with new right-handed singlets, in new doublets of some grand unified theories and left-right symmetrical models. It is expected that signals of new particles can be found at the CERN high-energy hadron collider (LHC). We present signatures and distributions that can indicate the theoretical origin of these new particles. The single and pair production of heavy Majorana neutrinos are calculated and the model dependence is discussed. Same-sign dileptons in the final state provide a clear signal for the Majorana nature of heavy neutrinos, since there is lepton number violation. Mass bounds on heavy Majorana neutrinos allowing model discrimination are estimated for three different LHC luminosities.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

Evolution of the eyes of vipers with and without infrared-sensing pit organs

We examined lens and brille transmittance, photoreceptors, visual pigments, and visual opsin gene sequences of viperid snakes with and without infrared-sensing pit organs. Ocular media transmittance is high in both groups. Contrary to previous reports, small as well as large single cones occur in pit vipers. Non-pit vipers differ from pit vipers in having a twotiered retina, but few taxa have been examined for this poorly understood feature. All vipers sampled express rh1, sws1 and lws visual opsin genes. Opsin spectral tuning varies but not in accordance with the presence/absence of pit organs, and not always as predicted from gene sequences. The visual opsin genes were generally under purifying selection, with positive selection at spectral tuning amino acids in RH1 and SWS1 opsins, and at retinal pocket stabilization sites in RH1 or LWS (and without substantial differences between pit and nonpit vipers). Lack of evidence for sensory trade-off between viperid eyes (in the aspects examined) and pit organs might be explained by the high degree of neural integration of vision and infrared detection; the latter representing an elaboration of an existing sense with addition of a novel sense organ, rather than involving the evolution of a wholly novel sensory system

Detecting, Quantifying, and Discriminating the Mechanism of Mosaic Chromosomal Aneuploidies Using MAD-seq

Current approaches to detect and characterize mosaic chromosomal aneuploidy are limited by sensitivity, efficiency, cost, or the need to culture cells. We describe the mosaic aneuploidy detection by massively parallel sequencing (MAD-seq) capture assay and the MADSEQ analytical approach that allow low

Análise biométrica de cultivares de cana-de-açúcar inoculadas com bactérias fixadoras de nitrogênio.

Este trabalho objetivou avaliar as características de crescimento de cultivares de cana-de-açúcar inoculadas com bactérias fixadoras de nitrogênio, em condição irrigada no Semiárido. O estudo foi desenvolvido na Usina Agrovale em delineamento de blocos casualizados, sendo os tratamentos representados por seis cultivares de cana-de-açúcar: RB 867515, RB 72454, RB 961003, RB 92579, PX 0178 e PX 01306, cultivadas com e sem inoculação e por dois tratamentos de RB 867515 e RB 72454 adubadas com 120 kg de N ha-1. As avaliações biométricas consistiram na contagem de perfilhos aos 30, 60 e 90 dias após o plantio (DAP), e na avaliação da altura, do diâmetro do colmo e do número de colmos aos 5 e 9 meses após o plantio. Em relação ao número de perfilhos, aos 90 DAP, observou-se que não houve diferenças entre os tratamentos. O número de colmos aumentou em relação aos resultados da primeira avaliação, mas não houve diferenças entre os tratamentos. As parcelas que receberam 120 kg de N ha-1 foram incluídas no grupo de menor diâmetro dos colmos. A altura da maioria das cultivares inoculadas se igualou à altura das plantas que foram fertilizadas com 120 kg de N ha-1

Germinação e crescimento inicial de variedades de sorgo forrageiro submetidas ao estresse salino.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a tolerância à salinidade de seis variedades de sorgo forrageiro a partir da porcentagem de germinação e do crescimento inicial das plântulas submetidas a seis níveis de salinidade. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 6 x 6, com quatro repetições contendo 25 sementes. Os tratamentos foram seis variedades (V) de sorgo forrageiro [F305 (V1), BRS 655 (V2), BRS 610 (V3), Volumax (V4), 1.015.045 (V5), 1.016.005 (V6)] e seis níveis de salinidade [0 (água destilada); 2,5; 5,0; 7,5; 10 e 12,5 dS m-1]. O experimento foi conduzido no Laboratório de Sementes da Embrapa Semiárido, em agosto de 2012. Foram avaliados a percentagem de germinação, o comprimento da parte aérea (PA) e da raiz (R) principal, razão de comprimento PA/R, massa fresca e seca da parte aérea e do sistema radicular. Os níveis de salinidade não interferiram no processo de germinação das sementes das variedades de sorgo forrageiro até a condutividade de 10 dS m-1. Quanto ao crescimento das plântulas, os níveis de salinidade entre 3 e 5 dS m-1 favoreceram o crescimento da parte aérea e raízes demonstrando boa tolerância à salinidade das variedades de sorgo forrageiro avaliadas, principalmente de F305, Volumax e 1.015.04

Discrete symmetries and models of flavor mixing

Evidences of a discrete symmetry behind the pattern of lepton mixing are analyzed. The program of "symmetry building" is outlined. Generic features and problems of realization of this program in consistent gauge models are formulated. The key issues include the flavor symmetry breaking, connection of mixing and masses, {\it ad hoc} prescription of flavor charges, "missing" representations, existence of new particles, possible accidental character of the TBM mixing. Various ways are considered to extend the leptonic symmetries to the quark sector and to reconcile them with Grand Unification. In this connection the quark-lepton complementarity could be a viable alternative to TBM. Observational consequences of the symmetries and future experimental tests of their existence are discussed.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures. Talk given at the Symposium "DISCRETE 2010", 6 - 11 December 2010, La Sapienza, Rome, Ital