Non-universal Z' from SO(10) GUTs with vector-like family and the origin of neutrino masses

A $Z'$ gauge boson with mass around the (few) TeV scale is a popular example of physics beyond the Standard Model (SM) and can be a fascinating remnant of a Grand Unified Theory (GUT). Recently, $Z'$ models with non-universal couplings to the SM fermions due to extra vector-like states have received attention as potential explanations of the present $R_K$, $R_{K^{\ast}}$ anomalies; this includes GUT model proposals based on the $\mathrm{SO}(10)$ group. In this paper we further develop GUT models with a flavour non-universal low scale $Z'$ and clarify several outstanding issues within them. First, we successfully incorporate a realistic neutrino sector (with linear and/or inverse low scale seesaw mechanism), which was so far a missing ingredient. Second, we investigate in detail their compatibility with the $R_K$, $R_{K^{\ast}}$ anomalies; we find that the anomalies do not have a consistent explanation within such models. Third, we demonstrate that these models have other compelling phenomenological features; we study the correlations between the flavour violating processes of $\mu\to 3e$ and $\mu$-$e$ conversion in a muonic atom, showing how a GUT imprint could manifest itself in experiments.Comment: Revised version, published in NPB. New material, general conclusions unchanged. 30 pages, 4 figures, 2 table

Learned Helplessness and Depression: Comparison of Skilled Nursing and Assisted Living Facilities

Research with geriatric populations suggests high levels of clinical depression and greater financial and psychological costs of treatment in long-term care facilities with more restrictive care. Research on learned helplessness, a construct separate from depression, suggests learned helplessness and perceived control are useful theories for the study of elder depression, but the relationship between depression and learned helplessness in this population is not clear. This cross-sectional quantitative study examined the relationship between depression and learned helplessness by comparing residents over age 65 in less restrictive assisted living (n =42) versus those in more restrictive skilled nursing facilities (n =63). Data were collected using the Geriatric Depression Scale, the Helplessness subscale of the Cognitive Distortion Scales, and the Learned Helplessness and Instrumental Helplessness subscales of the Multi-Score Depression Inventory. Between-group ANOVA results confirmed a higher level of depression and state learned helplessness, but not trait learned helplessness, in restrictive skilled nursing residents when compared to those in less restrictive assisted living residents. There were positive correlations between learned helplessness, instrumental helplessness, and depression regardless of level of nursing care, and a positive correlation between perceived control and depression regardless of level of facility care. Identifying state learned helplessness and depression in long-term, restrictive care facilities can promote positive social change through increased awareness, intervention, and treatment to improve individual quality of life and maximize internalization of perceived control of the decision making process for elders

Comparatively Light Extra Higgs States as Signature of SUSY SO(10)\mathrm{SO}(10) GUTs with 3rd Family Yukawa Unification

We study $3$rd family Yukawa unification in the context of supersymmetric (SUSY) $\mathrm{SO}(10)$ GUTs and $\mathrm{SO}(10)$-motivated boundary conditions for the SUSY-breaking soft terms. We consider $\mu<0$ such that the SUSY loop-threshold effects enable a good fit to all third family masses of the charged Standard Model (SM) fermions. We find that fitting the third family masses together with the mass of the SM-like Higgs particle, the scenario predicts the masses of the superpartner particles and of the extra Higgs states of the MSSM: while the sparticles are predicted to be comparatively heavy (above the present LHC bound but within reach of future colliders), the spectrum has the characteristic feature that the lightest new particles are the extra MSSM Higgses. We show that this effect is rather robust with respect to many deformations of the GUT boundary conditions, but turns out to be sensitive to the exactness of top-bottom Yukawa unification. Nevertheless, with moderate deviations of a few percent from exact top-bottom Yukawa unification (stemming e.g.\ from GUT-threshold corrections or higher-dimensional operators), the scenario still predicts extra MSSM Higgs particles with masses not much above $1.5\,\mathrm{TeV}$, which could be tested e.g.\ by future LHC searches for ditau decays $H^0/A^{0}\to\tau\tau$. Finding the extra MSSM Higges before the other new MSSM particles could thus be a smoking gun for a Yukawa unified $\mathrm{SO}(10)$ GUT.Comment: 39 pages, 13 figures, 1 table, 2 appendice

Employing nucleon decay as a fingerprint of SUSY GUT models using SusyTCProton

While the observation of nucleon decay would be a smoking gun of Grand Unified Theories (GUTs) in general, the ratios between the decay rates of the various channels carry rich information about the specific GUT model realization. To investigate this fingerprint of GUT models in the context of supersymmetric (SUSY) GUTs, we present the software tool SusyTCProton, which is an extension of the module SusyTC to be used with the REAP package. It allows to calculate nucleon decay rates from the relevant dimension five GUT operators specified at the GUT scale, including the full loop-dressing at the SUSY scale. As an application, we investigate the fingerprints of two example GUT toy models with different flavor structures, performing an MCMC analysis to include the experimental uncertainties for the charged fermion masses and CKM mixing parameters. While both toy models provide equally good fits to the low energy data, we show how they could be distinguished via their predictions of ratios for nucleon decay rates. Together with SusyTCProton we also make the additional module ProtonDecay public. It can be used independently from REAP and allows to calculate nucleon decay rates from given D = 5 and D = 6 operator coefficients (accepting the required SUSY input for the D = 5 case in SLHA format). The D = 6 functionality can also be used to calculate nucleon decay in non-SUSY GUTs

Experimental and simulation studies on introgressing genomic segments from exotic into elite germplasm of rye (Secale cereale L.) by marker-assisted backcrossing

Durch die Einkreuzung genetischer Ressourcen kann die Diversität von Elitezuchtmaterial bei Roggen erhöht werden. Diese vielversprechende Möglichkeit wurde in der aktuellen Züchtung bisher kaum genutzt, obwohl exotisches Genmaterial einzelne günstige agronomische Eigen-schaften besitzen kann. Der Hauptgrund dafür ist die geringe Anpassung solcher Populationen an unsere Produktions- und Umweltbedingungen. Durch die markergestützte Entwicklung von Introgressionsbibliotheken, die zur systematischen Übertragung von einzelnen Donorchromo-som (DC)-Segmenten aus einer nicht-adaptierten Quelle (Donor) in Elitezuchtmaterial (Emp-fänger, Rekurrenter Elter) führen, könnten agronomisch ungünstige Nebeneffekte vermieden werden. Dabei werden Introgressionslinien (ILs) entwickelt, die nur ein oder wenige, kurze DC-Segmente enthalten. Die eingelagerten DC-Segmente sollten dabei gleichmäßig über das Empfängergenom verteilt sein und möglichst das Gesamtgenom des Donors repräsentieren. Eine systematische Entwicklung einer Introgressionsbibliothek wurde bei Roggen bisher noch nicht beschrieben. Die wesentlichen Ziele der Arbeit waren deshalb (1) zwei Introgressi-onsbibliotheken des Roggens durch markergestützte Rückkreuzung zu entwickeln, deren ILs jeweils nur ein bis drei DC-Segmente beinhalten, die zusammen den größten Teil des Donor-genoms abdecken und (2) durch Computersimulationen kosten- und zeiteffiziente Strategien für den Aufbau von Introgressionsbibliotheken zu entwickeln. Ausgangspunkt der Erstellung der Introgressionsbibliotheken (F bzw. G) war eine Kreu-zung zwischen der homozygoten Elitelinie L2053-N (Rekurrenter Elter) und der heterozygoten iranischen Primitivroggenpopulation Altevogt 14160 (Donor). Durch zwei Rückkreuzungen und anschließende Selbstungen wurde das Material bis zur BC2S3-Generation entwickelt. AFLP- und SSR-Marker dienten in den ersten vier Generationen dazu, die Einzelpflanzen mit den erwünschten DC-Segmenten zu selektieren. Als Selektionskriterien dienten die chromo-somale Lokalisation der DC-Segmente, die Anzahl DC-Segmente pro IL und der Anteil des rekurrenten Elterngenoms. Dadurch entstanden die weltweit ersten beiden Roggen-Introgressionsbibliotheken. Sie bestehen aus je 40 BC2S3-ILs und umfassen 72% (Bibliothek F) bzw. 63% (Bibliothek G) des gesamten Donorgenoms; zusammen wurden rund 80% er-reicht. Die meisten ILs enthalten ein bis drei homozygote DC-Segmente (Mittel 2,2) mit einer mittleren Länge von 18.3 cM in Bibliothek F und 14.3 cM in Bibliothek G. Die Computersimulationen wurden mit dem Programmpaket PLABSIM, Version 2, durchgeführt, um eine optimale Introgressionsstrategie für Roggen zu entwickeln. Sie basierten auf sieben Chromosomen mit einer durchschnittlichen Kartenlänge der Introgressionsbiblio-thek F von 665 cM. Sechs unterschiedliche Strategien, die sich in der Anzahl der Rückkreu-zungs- und Selbstungsgenerationen unterschieden, wurden untersucht, wobei als Kriterien eine ausreichende Donorgenomabdeckung und ein maximaler Anteil des Empfängergenoms dien-ten. Als am effizientesten erwies sich der Aufbau einer BC3S1- Bibliothek. Dabei können mit einer relativ geringen Anzahl an Nachkommen je IL (N=19) und einer angemessenen Anzahl an Markerdatenpunkte (52.700) nahezu 100% des Donorgenoms abgedeckt werden. Eine län-ger dauernde Introgression ist etwas kostengünstiger, aber natürlich zeitaufwändiger. Strate-gien kürzerer Dauer sind wesentlich teurer. Eine optimale Allokation an Ressourcen wird er-reicht, wenn man die Introgression mit einer kleinen BC1-Population (60 bis 200 Einzelpflan-zen) beginnt und in den nachfolgenden Generationen die Nachkommenschaftsgröße je IL schrittweise erhöht (etwa 15 auf 25-35 Einzelpflanzen). Die Kapazitäten können wesentlich vermindert werden, wenn längere DC-Segmente ange-strebt bzw. genetische Karten mit geringerer Markerdichte verwendet werden. Dies hat jedoch für die Verwendung in der Pflanzenzüchtung erhebliche Nachteile. Längere DC-Segmente ent-halten mit größerer Wahrscheinlichkeit (1) auch agronomisch ungünstige Loci, (2) mehr als ein Gen des Zielmerkmals, wenn es sich um polygenische Eigenschaften handelt, oder (3) zahlrei-che Gene, die andere Eigenschaften betreffen. Der größte Nachteil von genetischen Karten mit großen Markerabständen ist die Unsicherheit bezüglich doppelter Crossover-Ereignisse inner-halb der Markerintervalle. All diese Nachteile verursachen Probleme bei der späteren Identifi-kation der Zielgene und der Genisolation. Eine zu starke Kostenreduktion am Beginn der Introgression muss daher mit erhöhten Kosten bei der Verwendung der IL in der praktischen Züchtung und bei genomischen Ansätzen erkauft werden. Die Ergebnisse der Simulationsstudien lagen erst vor als die experimentelle Erstellung der beiden Roggen-Introgressionsbibliotheken abgeschlossen war. Deshalb ergaben sich folgende Unterschiede zur optimalen Strategie: (1) Es wurde die BC2S2?Generation genutzt, obwohl die BC3S1?Generation in der Simulationsstudie besser abschnitt. (2) Die Populationsgröße der BC1?Generation war für die Introgressionsbibliothek F (N=68) bzw. G (N=69) weit von der optimalen Größe (N=200) entfernt, (3) die mittlere Anzahl Nachkommen je IL ab der BC2-Generation schwankte zwischen 7 und 21, während die zwei- bis dreifache Größe optimal ge-wesen wäre, (4) die Gesamtzahl bearbeiteter Einzelpflanzen (N=690 bzw. 684 für Introgressi-onsbibliothek F bzw. G) war deutlich geringer als aufgrund der Simulationsstudie erforderlich (N=3440). Dies führte zu einer unvollständigen Abdeckung des Donorgenoms in beiden Introgressionsbibliotheken und erklärt, warum die meisten IL mehr als ein DC-Segment enthal-ten. Hätten die Ergebnisse der Simulationsstudie für die empirische Studie verwendet werden können, dann wäre der Wert der entstanden IL trotz begrenzter Kapazitäten bezüglich der ge-nannten Merkmale höher gewesen. Der Einfluss der nicht-adaptierten DC-Segmente auf agronomisch wichtige, qualitativ bzw. quantitativ vererbte Merkmale muss noch in umfangreichen Felduntersuchungen ermittelt werden. ILs mit günstigen DC-Segmenten können direkt in der praktischen Hybridroggenzüch-tung verwendet werden. Sie können aber auch weiter rückgekreuzt werden, um nahe-isogenische Linien (NILs) zu erzeugen, von denen jede nur ein einzelnes, kurzes DC-Segment trägt, das durch Marker gezielt angesprochen werden kann. Diese NILs wären ein günstiger Ausgangspunkt für eine hochauflösende Kartierung und die Isolierung und funktionale Charak-terisierung von Kandidatengenen. Die Erstellung der beiden Introgressionsbibliotheken und die Ergebnisse der Simulations-studie sind wichtige Meilensteine für die gezielte Nutzung genetischer Ressourcen und eröff-nen vielversprechende Möglichkeiten für die funktionale Genomanalyse bei Roggen.The introgression of exotic germplasm is a promising approach to increase the genetic diversity of elite rye breeding materials. Even though exotic germplasm may contain genomic segments that can improve oligo- and polygenically inherited traits, it has not been intensively utilized in modern rye breeding due to its agronomically inferior phenotypes and low performance level. Introgression of exotic germplasm requires techniques that would minimize negative side effects attributable to genetic interactions between recipient and donor. This appears achievable by the introgression library approach involving the systematic transfer of donor chromosome (DC) segments from an agriculturally unadapted source (donor) into an elite line (recipient, recurrent parent). A set of introgression lines (ILs) is thus developed, in which introgression is restricted to one or a few short DC segments. Ideally, the introgressed DC segments are evenly distributed over the whole recipient genome and the total genome of the exotic donor is comprised in the established set of ILs. The systematic development of an introgression library in rye has not been described yet. The main objectives of this study were to i) establish two rye introgression libraries by marker-assisted backcrossing, comprising of ILs each harbouring one to three DC segments and jointly covering most of the donor genome (DG), and ii) apply computer simulations to develop a highly effective and cost-efficient marker-assisted introgression strategy for the creation of introgression libraries in rye. A cross between a homozygous elite rye inbred line L2053-N (recurrent parent) and a heterozygous Iranian primitive rye population Altevogt 14160 (donor) was used as base material to generate the two libraries (F and G). Repeated backcrossing (BC) and subsequent selfing (S) until generation BC2S3 were chosen as the introgression method. The AFLP and SSR markers were employed to select individuals carrying desired DC segments, starting from generation BC1 to generation BC2S2. The chromosomal localization of DC segments, the number of DC segments per IL, and the proportion of recurrent parent genome were used as criteria to select parent individuals. This procedure resulted in the first two rye introgression libraries worldwide, comprising 40 BC2S3 ILs per library and covering 72% of the total DG in library F and 63% in library G (jointly approximately 80%). Most of the established ILs harboured one to three homozygous DC segments (on average 2.2 in both libraries), with a mean length of 18.3 cM in library F and 14.3 cM in library G. Computer simulations were conducted using the software PLABSIM version 2 to evaluate and optimize strategies for developing an introgression library in rye. Simulations were based on map-length estimates obtained from genotyping the BC1 generation of population F (7 chromosome pairs, genome size 665 cM). Six strategies differing in the number of BC and S generations were analysed, by setting the restrictions of sufficient DG coverage and RPG recovery. The medium-long BC3S1 strategy proved to be the most recommendable. It allows to achieve close to 100% DG coverage with moderate progeny sizes (19 individual per IL) in the individual generations and an acceptable total number of marker data points (52700), thus providing a good compromise between the cost and speed of an introgression procedure. Longer strategies are somewhat more cost-efficient but too time-demanding. The reverse is true for shorter strategies. An optimal allocation of resources is achieved by starting an introgression strategy with a small BC1 population (between 60 and 200 individuals) and stepwise increasing the progeny size per IL from about 15 to about 25-35 individuals in the succeeding generations. Targeting longer DC segments and using genetic maps with lower marker density allow a remarkable reduction in resources. This approach, however, possesses shortcomings when implementation in breeding is considered. The longer DC segments more likely carry i) unfavourable loci as well, ii) more than one gene controlling the trait in question, or iii) many additional loci affecting other traits. The major disadvantage of genetic maps with large marker distances is the unknown information about possible double cross-overs within marker intervals. All above-mentioned disadvantages may cause problems in the process of identification and isolation of genes controlling the trait of interest. Thus, a lower initial effort for the establishment of an introgression library will later on require additional efforts for using the ILs in breeding and genomics. Since the results of the simulation study became available after the marker-assisted establishment of the two rye introgression libraries had been finished, the dimensioning of the experimental study deviated from the optimum dimensioning determined in the simulation study: i) The BC2S2 introgression strategy was used in the empirical approach, whereas the BC3S1 strategy proved to be most recommendable in the simulation study. ii) The BC1 population sizes of libraries F and G (68 and 69, respectively) were far below the optimum value (200) determined in the simulation study for the chosen BC2S2 strategy. iii) The mean progeny sizes per IL from generation BC2 onwards varied between 7 and 21, whereas the optimum progeny size would have been two to three times higher. iv) The total number of analysed individuals (690 in library F, 684 in library G) was considerably lower than the optimum determined in the simulation study (3440). As a consequence, the coverage of the donor genome in the two libraries was incomplete and most ILs harboured more than a single DC segment. The potential application of the results of the simulation study would have increased the value of the developed ILs (higher DG coverage, lower number of DC segments per IL) considerably, despite limited resources. The effects of the introgressed DC segments on agronomically important qualitative and quantitative traits still need to be examined in multi-environmental field experiments. Introgression lines with beneficial DC segments may directly be used in practical hybrid rye breeding programs. Moreover, such ILs may be further backcrossed to create near isogenic lines (NILs) each carrying a single marker-characterized short DC segment. These NILs are an ideal starting point for high-resolution mapping and for the isolation and functional characterisation of candidate genes. The two rye introgression libraries and the results of the simulation study mark important milestones for the targeted exploitation of exotic rye germplasm and provide a promising opportunity to proceed towards functional genomics in rye

Predicting δPMNS\delta^\text{PMNS}, θ23PMNS\theta_{23}^\text{PMNS} and fermion mass ratios from flavour GUTs with CSD2

Constrained Sequential neutrino Dominance of type 2 (referred to as CSD2) is an attractive building block for flavour Grand Unified Theories (GUTs) because it predicts a non-zero leptonic mixing angle $\theta_{13}^\text{PMNS}$, a deviation of $\theta_{23}^\text{PMNS}$ from $\pi /4$, as well as a leptonic Dirac CP phase $\delta^\text{PMNS}$ which is directly linked to the CP violation relevant for generating the baryon asymmetry via the leptogenesis mechanism. When embedded into GUT flavour models, these predictions are modified in a specific way, depending on which GUT operators are responsible for generating the entries of fermion Yukawa matrices. In this paper, we systematically investigate and classify the resulting predictions from supersymmetric $\mathrm{SU}(5)$ based flavour models by fitting the known fermion mass and mixing data, in order to provide a roadmap for future model building. Interestingly, the promising models predict the lepton Dirac CP phase $\delta^\mathrm{PMNS}$ between $230^\circ$ and $290^\circ$, and the quark CP phase $\delta^\mathrm{CKM}$ in accordance with a right-angled unitarity triangle ($\alpha_\mathrm{UT}=90^\circ$). Also, our model setup predicts the quantities $\theta_{23}^\mathrm{PMNS}$ and $m_d/m_s$ with less uncertainty than current experimental precision, and allowing with future sensitivity to discriminate between them.Comment: 46 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables; we provide neutrino RGE data tables at https://particlesandcosmology.unibas.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/particlesandcosmology-unibas-ch/files/RGrunning.zi

Quadruple-Cation Wide-Bandgap Perovskite Solar Cells with Enhanced Thermal Stability Enabled by Vacuum Deposition

Vacuum processing of multicomponent perovskites is not straightforward, because the number of precursors is in principle limited by the number of available thermal sources. Herein, we present a process which allows increasing the complexity of the formulation of vacuum-deposited lead halide perovskite films by multisource deposition and premixing both inorganic and organic components. We apply it to the preparation of wide-bandgap CsMAFA triple-cation perovskite solar cells, which are found to be efficient but not thermally stable. With the aim of stabilizing the perovskite phase, we add guanidinium (GA+) to the material formulation and obtained CsMAFAGA quadruple-cation perovskite films with enhanced thermal stability, as observed by X-ray diffraction and rationalized by microstructural analysis. The corresponding solar cells showed similar performance with improved thermal stability. This work paves the way toward the vacuum processing of complex perovskite formulations, with important implications not only for photovoltaics but also for other fields of application