Vortex solutions of an Abelian Higgs model with visible and hidden sectors

We study vortex solutions in a theory with dynamics governed by two weakly coupled Abelian Higgs models, describing a hidden sector and a visible sector. We analyze the radial dependence of the axially symmetric solutions constructed numerically and discuss the stability of vortex configurations for different values of the model parameters, studying in detail vortex decay into lower energy configurations. We find that even in a weak coupling regime vortex solutions strongly depend on the parameters of both the visible and hidden sectors. We also discuss on qualitative grounds possible implications of the existence of a hidden sector in connection with superconductivity.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figures, version accepted in JHE

Chern-Simons-Higgs Theory with Visible and Hidden Sectors and its N=2{\cal N}=2 SUSY Extension

We study vortex solutions in Abelian Chern-Simons-Higgs theories with visible and hidden sectors. We first consider the case in which the two sectors are connected through a BF-like gauge mixing term with no explicit interaction between the the two scalars. Since first order Bogomolny equations do not exist in this case, we derive the second order field equations. We then proceed to an ${\cal N}=2$ supersymmetric extension including a Higgs portal mixing among the visible and hidden charged scalars. As expected, Bogomolnyi equations do exist in this case and we study their string-like solutions numerically.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figures. Several typos fixed and the Gauss law is explicitly written, figures correctly shown. Accepted in PL

Chiral Anomaly Beyond Lorentz Invariance

The chiral anomaly in the context of an extended standard model with minimal Lorentz invariance violation is studied. Taking into account bounds from measurements of the speed of light, we argue that the chiral anomaly and its consequences are general results valid even beyond the relativistic symmetry.Comment: Final version. To be published in PR

SU(2) Kinetic Mixing Terms and Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking

The non-abelian generalization of the Holdom model --{\it i.e.} a theory with two gauge fields coupled to the kinetic mixing term $g {tr}(F_{\mu \nu} (A) F_{\mu \nu} (B))$-- is considered. Contrarily to the abelian case, the group structure $G\times G$ is explicitly broken to $G$. For SU(2) this fact implies that the residual gauge symmetry as well as the Lorentz symmetry is spontaneusly broken. We show that this mechanism provides of masses for the involved particles. Also, the model presents instanton solutions with a redefined coupling constant.Comment: 9pp. typos and clarifications are adde

Analysis of small RNA populationsgenerated in peanut leaves after exogenous application of dsRNA and dsDNA targeting aflatoxin synthesis genes

Previously, we have shown that RNA interference (RNAi) can prevent aflatoxin accumulation in transformed peanuts. To explore aflatoxin control by exogenous delivery of double-strand RNA (dsRNA) it is necessary to understand the generation of small RNA (sRNA) populations. We sequenced 12 duplicate sRNA libraries of in-vitro-grown peanut plants, 24 and 48 h after exogenous application of five gene fragments (RNAi-5x) related to aflatoxin biosynthesis in Aspergillus flavus. RNAi-5x was applied either as double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) or RNAi plasmid DNA (dsDNA). Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) derived from RNAi-5x were significantly more abundant at 48 h than at 24 h, and the majority mapped to the fragment of aflatoxin efflux-pump gene. RNAi-5x-specific siRNAs were significantly, three to fivefold, more abundant in dsDNA than dsRNA treatments. Further examination of known micro RNAs related to disease-resistance, showed significant down-regulation of miR399 and up-regulation of miR482 in leaves treated with dsDNA compared to the control. These results show that sRNA sequencing is useful to compare exogenous RNAi delivery methods on peanut plants, and to analyze the efficacy of molecular constructs to generate siRNAs against specific gene targets. This work lays the foundation for non-transgenic delivery of RNAi in controlling aflatoxins in peanut

Sixteen Draft Genome Sequences Representing the Genetic Diversity of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus Colonizing Peanut Seeds in Ethiopia

Draft genomes of 16 isolates of Aspergillus flavus Link and Aspergillus parasiticus Speare, identified as the predominant genotypes colonizing peanuts in four farming regions in Ethiopia, are reported. These data will allow mining for sequences that could be targeted by RNA interference to prevent aflatoxin accumulation in peanut seeds

The relationship between truncation and phosphorylation at the C-terminus of tau protein in the paired helical filaments of Alzheimer's disease

Acknowledgements: Authors want to express their gratitude to Dr. P. Davies (Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA) and Lester I. Binder (NorthWestern, Chicago, IL, USA) for the generous gift of mAbs (TG-3, Alz-50, and MC1), and (TauC-3), respectively, and to M. en C. Ivan J. Galván-Mendoza for his support in confocal microscopy, and Ms. Maricarmen De Lorenz for her secretarial assistance. We also want to express our gratitude to the Mexican Families who donate the brain of their loved ones affected with Alzheimer's disease, and made possible our research. This work was financially supported by CONACyT grant, No. 142293 (For R.M).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Hydroclimate of the Andes Part I: Main Climatic Features

The Andes is the longest cordillera in the world and extends from northern South America to the southern extreme of the continent (from 11°N to 53°S). The Andes runs through seven countries and is characterized by a wide variety of ecosystems strongly related to the contrasting climate over its eastern and western sides, as well as along its latitudinal extension. This region faces very high potential impacts of climate change, which could affect food and water security for about 90 million people. In addition, climate change represents an important threat on biodiversity, particularly in the tropical Andes, which is the most biodiverse region on Earth. From a scientific and societal view, the Andes exhibits specific challenges because of its unique landscape and the fragile equilibrium between the growing population and its environment. In this manuscript, we provide an updated review of the most relevant scientific literature regarding the hydroclimate of the Andes with an integrated view of the entire Andes range. This review paper is presented in two parts. Part I is dedicated to summarize the scientific knowledge about the main climatic features of the Andes, with emphasis on mean large-scale atmospheric circulation, the Andes-Amazon hydroclimate interconnections and the most distinctive diurnal and annual cycles of precipitation. Part II, which is also included in the research topic “Connecting Mountain Hydroclimate Through the American Cordilleras,” focuses on the hydroclimate variability of the Andes at the sub-continental scale, including the effects of El Niño-Southern Oscillation.Fil: Espinoza, Jhan Carlo. Universite Grenoble Alpes; FranciaFil: Garreaud, René. Universidad de Chile. Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas; ChileFil: Poveda, Germán. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Sede Medellin; ColombiaFil: Arias, Paola A.. Universidad de Antioquia; ColombiaFil: Molina Carpio, Jorge. Universidad Mayor de San Andrés; BoliviaFil: Masiokas, Mariano Hugo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Viale, Maximiliano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Scaff, Lucia. University of Saskatchewan; Canad

Hydroclimate of the Andes Part II: Hydroclimate Variability and Sub-Continental Patterns

This paper provides an updated review of the most relevant scientific literature related to the hydroclimate of the Andes. The Andes, the longest cordillera in the world, faces major challenges regarding climate variability and climate change, which impose several threats to sustainable development, including water supply and the sustainability of ecosystem services. This review focuses on hydroclimate variability of the Andes at a sub-continental scale. The annual water cycle and long-term water balance along the Andes are addressed first, followed by the examination of the effects of orography on convective and frontal precipitation through the study of precipitation gradients in the tropical, subtropical and extratropical Andes. In addition, a review is presented of the current scientific literature on the climate variability in the Andes at different timescales. Finally, open research questions are presented in the last section of this article.Fil: Arias, Paola A.. Universidad de Antioquia; ColombiaFil: Garreaud, René. Universidad de Chile; ChileFil: Poveda, Germán. Universidad Nacional de Colombia; ColombiaFil: Espinoza, Jhan Carlo. Universite Grenoble Alpes; FranciaFil: Molina Carpio, Jorge. Universidad Mayor de San Andrés; BoliviaFil: Masiokas, Mariano Hugo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Viale, Maximiliano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Scaff, Lucia. University of Saskatchewan; CanadáFil: van Oevelen, Peter J.. George Mason University; Estados Unido

Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity associated to peri-urban living places in pregnant women in a rural area of Buenos Aires province, Argentina

Infection with Toxoplasma gondii is very common in humans throughout the world, the intake of raw or undercooked meat with tissue cysts and fruits, vegetables and water contaminated with parasite oocysts being the main routes of infection. Here, we analyzed the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies in pregnant females (age 13–44 years; n = 920) between April 2014 and December 2017 from Chascomús (Argentina), a city immersed in a rural area. Altogether 320 tested positive for immunoglobulin G antibodies, yielding an overall seroprevalence of 34.8% (CI 95%: 31.7–37.9). No association was observed between seropositivity and age. In addition, by using the QGIS 3.2.1 software we analyzed the geographical distribution of 769 (83.6%) pregnant females in two main areas of the city: Urban (n = 157) and Peri-urban (n = 612) with a seroprevalence of 26.8% (CI 95%: 19.8–33.7) and 36.4% (CI 95%: 32.6–40.3) respectively, and this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.023). Furthermore, we assessed through a questionnaire survey, between April 2016 to December 2017, possible risk factors such as activity (urban and rural), home water supply, animal husbandry, presence of cats as pets, gardening and consumption of meat and its derivatives (pork, sheep meat and sausages) and their frequencies (consumption per week), not finding significant association with seropositivity. Significant differences was found when the seroprevalence was analyzed between the urban and peri-urban neighborhoods of the city of Chascomús. The higher seroprevalence in peri-urban neighborhoods could be due to an unfavorable socioeconomic situation and/or to undeveloped peri-urban environments, which is a risk factor that should be taken into account when planning the health care of pregnant females.Fil: Rivera, Elias Maximiliano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús). Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús); ArgentinaFil: Lavayén, Silvina N.. Dirección Nacional del Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud "Dr.C.G.Malbran". Instituto Nacional de Epidemiologia; ArgentinaFil: Sánchez, Paola. Hospital Municipal de Chascomus San Vicente de Paul; ArgentinaFil: Martins, Carlos M. A.. Hospital Municipal de Chascomus San Vicente de Paul; ArgentinaFil: Gómez, Etelvina. Hospital Municipal de Chascomus San Vicente de Paul; ArgentinaFil: Rodríguez, Jorge P.. Hospital Municipal de Chascomus San Vicente de Paul; ArgentinaFil: Arias, Marcela E.. Secretaría de Salud. Municipalidad de Chascomús; ArgentinaFil: Silva, Andrea Paula. Dirección Nacional del Instituto de Investigación. Administración Nacional de Laboratorio e Instituto de Salud "Dr.C.G.Malbran". Instituto Nacional de Epidemiologia; ArgentinaFil: Ángel, Sergio Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús). Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús); Argentin