Predictions from a flavour GUT model combined with a SUSY breaking sector

We discuss how flavour GUT models in the context of supergravity can be completed with a simple SUSY breaking sector, such that the flavour-dependent (non-universal) soft breaking terms can be calculated. As an example, we discuss a model based on an SU(5) GUT symmetry and $A_4$ family symmetry, plus additional discrete "shaping symmetries" and a $\mathbb{Z}_4^\mathrm{R}$ symmetry. We calculate the soft terms and identify the relevant high scale input parameters, and investigate the resulting predictions for the low scale observables, such as flavour violating processes, the sparticle spectrum and the dark matter relic density.Comment: 24 pages, 3 figure

Large volume multiple-path nuclear pumped laser

Large volumes of gas are excited by using internal high reflectance mirrors that are arranged so that the optical path crosses back and forth through the excited gaseous medium. By adjusting the external dielectric mirrors of the laser, the number of paths through the laser cavity can be varied. Output powers were obtained that are substantially higher than the output powers of previous nuclear laser systems

Solar-driven liquid metal magnetohydrodynamic generator

A solar oven heated by concentrated solar radiation as the heat source of a liquid metal magnetohydrodynamic (LMMHD) power generation system is proposed. The design allows the production of electric power in space, as well as on Earth, at high rates of efficiency. Two types of the solar oven suitable for the system are discussed

Collisionless relaxation in spiral galaxy models

The increase in random kinetic energy of stars by rapidly fluctuating gravitational fields (collisionless or violent relaxation) in disk galaxy models is investigated for three interaction potentials of the stars corresponding to (1) point stars, (2) rod stars of length 2 kpc, and (3) uniform density spherical stars of radius 2 kpc. To stabilize the galaxy against the large scale bar forming instability, a fixed field corresponding to a central core or halo component of stars was added with the stars containing at most 20 percent of the total mass of the galaxy. Considerable heating occurred for both the point stars and the rod stars, whereas the use of spherical stars resulted in a very low heating rate. The use of spherical stars with the resulting low heating rate will be desirable for the study of large scale galactic stability or density wave propagation, since collective heating effects will no longer mask the phenomena under study

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

Associação entre os níveis séricos de marcadores de peroxidação de lipídeos e proteínas e a mortalidade de pacientes com traumatismo crânio encefálico grave

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro de Ciências Biológicas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências.O traumatismo cranio-encefalico (TCE) e a principal causa de morte e incapacidade em pessoas jovens. Estudos experimentais indicam que o estresse oxidativo esta envolvido em lesoes do SNC devido ao TCE. A associacao entre biomarcadores de lesao relacionados ao estresse oxidativo, como a peroxidacao de lipideos e proteinas, e o prognostico do TCE em humanos e um ponto controverso na literatura medica. Objetivo: Determinar a existencia ou nao de associacao entre os niveis plasmaticos de biomarcadores de peroxidacao de lipideos e de proteinas e a mortalidade precoce de pacientes com TCE grave. Metodos: Analisou-se a associacao entre mortalidade e variaveis clinicas, neurocirurgicas e medidas plasmaticas de marcadores de peroxidacao de lipideos (TBARS) e proteinas (grupos carbonil) apos 12, 30 e 70 horas apos o traumatismo de 79 pacientes consecutivos vitimas de TCE. Resultados: A media de idade dos pacientes foi 34,8 anos. Oitenta e seis porcento eram do sexo masculino e 35,4% morreram. Apos a regressao logistica multipla binaria, o odds ratio (OR) ajustado para obito foi 3,5 vezes maior nos pacientes com escore na ECG de admissao menor que 5 (OR ajustado = 3,57, CI 95% 1,03 . 12,37, p = 0,04) em comparacao com escores na ECG maiores. Os pacientes com pupilas midriaticas na admissao apresentaram mortalidade 20 vezes maior do que pacientes com pupilas isocoricas (OR = 20,52, CI 95% 2,37 . 177,8, p = 0,006). Os pacientes com pupilas anisocoricas apresentaram uma tendencia de mortalidade 2 vezes maior em comparacao aos pacientes com pupilas isocoricas (OR = 2,52, CI 95% 0,7 . 9,12, p = 0,15). Os niveis plasmaticos de glicose . 150 mg/dL nas primeiras 12 horas apos o TCE foram associados com uma mortalidade 3,5 vezes maior em comparacao aos pacientes com glicemias entre 70 e 149 mg/dL (OR = 3,49, CI 95% 1,06 . 11,48, p = 0,04). Os niveis plasmaticos de TBARS e proteinas (grupo carbonil) nao estao associados com a mortalidade precoce em pacientes com TCE grave Conclusao: Os niveis plasmaticos de carbonil e de TBARS, 12, 30 e 70 horas apos o TCE, nao estao associados a mortalidade no momento da alta hospitalar. Estudos avaliando aspectos de qualidade de vida, cognicao e alteracoes psiquiatricas podem demonstrar uma associacao entre os parametros de estresse oxidativo e a sobrevida a longo prazo. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the most common cause of death and incapacity in young people. Experimental studies demonstrate that oxidative stress is an important mechanism involved in the CNS lesions due to TBI. The association between biomarkers of lesions related to oxidative stress including lipids and proteins peroxidation and the prognosis o TBI in humans remain inconclusive in the medical literature. Objectives: To investigate the association of plasma levels of lipid and protein peroxidation biomarkers and the mortality of patients with severe TBI at the hospital discharge time. Methods: We analyzed the association between mortality and clinical, neurosurgical variables, plasma levels of TBARS and carbonyl proteins measured in the first 12, 30 and 70 hours after the severe TBI in 79 patients admitted at the intensive care unit. Results: The mean age of patients were 34.8 years. Eighty six percent were male and 35.4% died. After the binary multiple logistic regression, the adjusted odds ratio for death was 3.5 times greater in patients with admission Coma Glasgow Scale lower than 5 (adjusted OR 3.57, CI 95% 1.03 . 12.37, p = 0.04) in comparison to higher CGS scores. Patients with admission midritic pupils had 20 times greater mortality than patients with isocoric pupils (OR = 20.52, CI 95% 2.37 . 177.8, p = 0.006). Patients with anisocoric pupils showed a nonsignificant trend for 2 times greater mortality in comparison to isocoric patients (OR 2.52, CI 95% 0.7 . 9.12, p = 0.15). The serum glucose . 150 mg/dL in the first 12 hours after trauma were 3.5 times greater association with death in comparison to patients with glucose levels between 70 and 149 mg/dL (OR 3.49, CI 95% 1.06 . 11.48, p = 0.04). The plasma TBARS and protein carbonyl levels were not associated to early mortality in severe head injury. Conclusions: Plasma TBARS and protein carbonyl levels at 12, 30 and 70 hours after severe TBI are not associated to mortality at time of discharge. The association between serum levels of oxidative stress parameters and long-term recovery including the cognitive, psychiatric and quality of life aspects remain to be investigated

Variación genética del color del iris en la población bonaerense

El estudio de la variación genética del color del iris es importante en Genética Forense, ya que ciertos polimorfismos permiten predecir su pigmentación en individuos europeos. Dada la composición mixta de la población argentina, estos marcadores podrían no ser útiles al determinar genéticamente el color del iris en nuestra población. Se presentan resultados parciales obtenidos en bonaerenses.Área: Ciencias Biológicas, Ambiente y Salud

Hemorragia digestiva alta: análise de 160 casos.

Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Clínica Médica, Curso de Medicina, Florianópolis, 199

Solar driven liquid metal MHD power generator

A solar energy collector focuses solar energy onto a solar oven which is attached to a mixer which in turn is attached to the channel of a MHD generator. Gas enters the oven and a liquid metal enters the mixer. The gas/liquid metal mixture is heated by the collected solar energy and moves through the MHD generator thereby generating electrical power. The mixture is then separated and recycled

Parallel Space-Time Kernel Density Estimation

The exponential growth of available data has increased the need for interactive exploratory analysis. Dataset can no longer be understood through manual crawling and simple statistics. In Geographical Information Systems (GIS), the dataset is often composed of events localized in space and time; and visualizing such a dataset involves building a map of where the events occurred. We focus in this paper on events that are localized among three dimensions (latitude, longitude, and time), and on computing the first step of the visualization pipeline, space-time kernel density estimation (STKDE), which is most computationally expensive. Starting from a gold standard implementation, we show how algorithm design and engineering, parallel decomposition, and scheduling can be applied to bring near real-time computing to space-time kernel density estimation. We validate our techniques on real world datasets extracted from infectious disease, social media, and ornithology