Grand Unification Research Articles

Neutrinos for TeV neutralinos

One of the most well-founded candidates for dark matter remains a split-supersymmetry (SUSY) model with a Higgsino- or winolike lightest superpartner and the grander SUSY model providing answers for the hierarchy problem and grand unified theory scale unification. The relatively heavy scalar superpartners imply such models would not yet be seen at collider experiments, and mixing-suppressed couplings place such models outside the reach of current direct detection experiments. As such particles annihilate fairly readily to electroweak bosons, a significant neutrino signal can arise near the Galactic Center that may be visible to dedicated searches at current and future neutrino telescopes. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Muon g−2 and proton lifetime in SUSY SU(5) GUTs with split superpartners

We consider the interplay of the muon g−2 anomaly and the proton decay in the supersymmetry (SUSY) SU(5) grand unified theories (GUTs) with generation-independent scalar soft masses. In these scenarios, we introduce a number of 5+5¯ messenger fields with doublet-triplet splitting in general gauge mediation to transmit SUSY breaking to the visible sector by gauge loops. As a result, squarks and sleptons receive generation-independent soft SUSY breaking masses, which are split already at the messenger scale. Taking into account the perturbative unification of gauge couplings as well as the bounds from electroweak precision and vacuum stability bounds, we showed the parameter space in general gauge mediation to explain the muon g−2 anomaly with smuon and sneutrino loops while evading the strong bounds on squarks and gluinos from the Large Hadron Collider. We also obtained the dominant Higgsino contributions to the proton decay mode, p→K+ν¯, with general generation-independent sparticle masses for squarks and sleptons. Even for split scalar soft masses in our model, however, we found that the bounds from the proton decay are satisfied only if the effective Yukawa couplings of the colored Higgsinos are suppressed further by a factor of order 10−4–10−3. We illustrated how such a suppression factor is realized in orbifold GUTs in the extra dimension where the colored Higgsinos in the bulk are not coupled to the matter fields localized at the orbifold fixed points at the leading order. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Gauge and scalar boson mediated proton decay in a predictive SU(5) GUT model

We assess proton decay signatures in the simplest viable SU(5) model with regard to constraints on parameters governing the Standard Model fermion mass spectrum. Experimental signals for all eight two-body proton decay processes result from exchange of two gauge bosons, a single scalar leptoquark, or their combination. Consequently, it enables us to delve into an in-depth anatomy of proton decay modes and anticipate future signatures. Our findings dictate that observing a proton decay into p→π0e+ indicates gauge boson mediation, with the potential for observation of p→η0e+ mode. Alternatively, if decay is through the p→K+ν¯ process, it is mediated by a scalar leptoquark, possibly allowing the observation of p→π0μ+. Detection of both p→π0e+ and p→K+ν¯ could enhance p→π0μ+ through constructive interference. The model predicts inaccessibility of p→π+ν¯, p→η0μ+, p→K0e+, and p→K0μ+, regardless of the dominant mediation type, in the coming decades. In summary, through a comprehensive analysis of proton decay signals, gauge coupling unification, and fermion masses and mixing, we both accurately and precisely constrain the parameter space of the SU(5) model in question. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Asymptotic ultraviolet-safe unification of gauge and Yukawa couplings: The exceptional case

The ultimate dream of unification models consists in combining both gauge and Yukawa couplings into one unified coupling. This is achieved by using a supersymmetric exceptional E6 gauge symmetry together with asymptotic unification in compact five-dimensional space-time. The ultraviolet fixed point requires exactly three fermion generations: one in the bulk, and the two light ones localised on the SO(10) boundary in order to cancel gauge anomalies. A second option allows to preserve baryon number and to lower the compactification scale down to the typical scales of the intermediate Pati-Salam gauge theory.

Instanton NDA and applications to axion models

We present a simple set of power counting rules which allows us to easily estimate calculable instanton effects up to O\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{O} $$\\end{document}(1) factors. We apply the resulting Instanton NDA to examine the effects of small instantons on various axion models. We confirm that mechanisms that increase the axion mass via small instantons generically also lead to an enhancement of misaligned instanton contributions to the axion potential, deepening the axion quality problem. For generic models, new sources of CP violation in the UV must be absent in order to raise the axion mass above the QCD prediction. However, we find that ZN and composite axions are UV-safe against these misalignment effects. Axion GUT models are also insensitive to UV contributions at the GUT scale, unless a very large number of extra states are introduced below this scale.

Predictive Dirac neutrino spectrum with strong CP solution in SU(5)L × SU(5)R unification

We develop a grand unified theory of matter and forces based on the gauge symmetry SU(5)L × SU(5)R with parity interchanging the two factor groups. Our main motivation for such a construction is to realize a minimal GUT embedding of left-right symmetric models that provide a parity solution to the strong CP problem without the axion. We show how the gauge couplings unify with an intermediate gauge symmetry SU(3)cL × SU(2)2L × U(1)L × SU(5)R, and establish its consistency with proton decay constraints. The model correctly reproduces the observed fermion masses and mixings and leads to naturally light Dirac neutrinos with their Yukawa couplings suppressed by a factor MI/MG, the ratio of the intermediate scale to the GUT scale. We call this mechanism type II-Dirac seesaw. Furthermore, the model predicts δCP = ±(130.4±1.2)° and \\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${m}_{{\ u }_{1}}$$\\end{document} = (4.8 – 8.4) meV for the Dirac CP phase and the lightest neutrino mass. We demonstrate how the model solves the strong CP problem via parity symmetry.

Probing grand unification with quantum sensors

We discuss how grand unification can be probed with experiments at low energies using quantum sensors. Specifically, we show that scalar multiplets coupled to the gauge sector of a grand unified theory provide a mechanism for a time-varying unified coupling which has low-energy consequences which can be probed with quantum sensors. We then assume that the multiplets represent ultra light dark matter. Constraints on ultra light dark matter couplings to regular matter are extracted using atomic clock comparisons, pulsar timing arrays (NANOGrav) and MICROSCOPE.

The effects of Pediococcus acidilactici MA18/5M on growth performance, gut integrity, and immune response using in vitro and in vivo Pacific salmonid models.

Microbial management is central to aquaculture's efficiency. Pediococcus acidilactici MA18/5M has shown promising results promoting growth, modulation of the immune response, and disease resistance in many fishes. However, the mechanisms through which this strain confers health benefits in fish are poorly understood, particularly in Pacific salmonid models. Briefly, the aims of this study were to i) assess the protective effects of P. acidilactici MA18/5M by examining gut barrier function and the expression of tight junction (TJ) and immune genes in vitro and in vivo, and ii) to determine the protective effects of this strain against a common saltwater pathogen, Vibrio anguillarum J382. An in vitro model of the salmonid gut was employed utilizing the cell line RTgutGC. Barrier formation and integrity assessed by TEER measurements in RTgutGC, showed a significant decrease in resistance in cells exposed only to V. anguillarum J382 for 24 h, but pre-treatment with P. acidilactici MA18/5M for 48 h mitigated these effects. While P. acidilactici MA18/5M did not significantly upregulate tight junction and immune molecules, pre-treatment with this strain protected against pathogen-induced insults to the gut barrier. In particular, the expression of ocldn was significantly induced by V. anguillarum J382, suggesting that this molecule might play a role in the host response against this pathogen. To corroborate these observations in live fish, the effects of P. acidilactici MA18/5M was evaluated in Chinook salmon reared in real aquaculture conditions. Supplementation with P. acidilactici MA18/5M had no effect on Chinook salmon growth parameters after 10 weeks. Interestingly, histopathological results did not show alterations associated with P. acidilactici MA18/5M supplementation, indicating that this strain is safe to be used in the industry. Finally, the expression pattern of transcripts encoding TJ and immune genes in all the treatments suggest that variation in expression is more likely to be due to developmental processes rather than P. acidilactici MA18/5M supplementation. Overall, our results showed that P. acidilactici MA18/5M is a safe strain for use in fish production, however, to assess the effects on growth and immune response previously observed in other salmonid species, an assessment in adult fish is needed.

Hyper-Kamiokande construction status and prospects

The Hyper-Kamiokande (Hyper-K) project is the world’s leading international neutrino and nucleon decay experiment comprising a next-generation underground water Cherenkov detector and upgraded Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) neutrino beam. It will provide an enormous potential to discover the leptonic charge-parity violation, to investigate the Grand Unified Theory by proton decay exploration, and to determine the neutrino mass ordering. Further, Hyper-K will significantly enhance the capability to observe solar neutrinos and neutrinos from other astronomical sources in comparison with its predecessors. After the budget approval in January 2020, the Hyper-K project officially began, and the operation is expected to start in 2027. The excavations of a 2.0 km long access tunnel and the tunnels for the detector facility have been completed. In October 2022 it was started the excavation of one of the world’s largest underground caverns to suite the HK detector. This article discusses the status and the prospects of the Hyper-K detector construction.

Pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone dark matter in SU(7) grand unification

We propose a grand unified theory (GUT) pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone boson (pNGB) dark matter (DM) model based on SU(7) gauge symmetry. In the GUT model, the Standard Model (SM) gauge symmetry GSM≔SU(3)C×SU(2)L×U(1)Y and the “dark” gauge symmetry SU(2)D are unified, where the SU(2)D symmetry plays an important role in the stability of DM. The unification of SM fermions and dark sector fermions is partially realized. The gauge symmetry SU(7) is spontaneously broken to SU(5)×SU(2)×U(1) gauge symmetry at the GUT scale by the nonvanishing vacuum expectation values of an SU(7) adjoint scalar field, where the SU(5) gauge symmetry is not usual SU(5) GUT gauge symmetry. The symmetry is further broken to GSM×SU(2)D at an intermediate scale. Furthermore, the SU(2)D symmetry is broken by the SU(2)D doublet and triplet scalar fields at the TeV scale. In the pNGB DM model based on GSM×SU(2)D, the residual global U(1)V dark custodial symmetry guarantees DM stability. On the other hand, in the SU(7) pNGB DM model, this global symmetry is explicitly broken by the Yukawa interaction and the effective Majorana mass terms. In the scalar sector, the cubic coupling constants of the SU(2)D doublet and triplet scalar fields are the order parameters of the U(1)V symmetry breaking. To maintain U(1)V symmetry and thus the DM stability, we need to tune Yukawa coupling constants and cubic scalar couplings at high accuracy. We find that the allowed DM mass region is quite restricted as the gauge coupling constant of SU(2)D is determined by the condition of the gauge coupling unification. To satisfy gauge coupling unification and the current experimental constraint on proton lifetime, we find that three generations of SU(3)C adjoint fermions and another three generations of SU(2)L adjoint fermions with the intermediate mass scale are required. We also find that there is no other solution to satisfy simultaneously the gauge coupling unification and the proton decay constraint if one assumes the other symmetry breaking schemes. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

UV finite GUT with SUSY breaking

We construct an example of a safe ultraviolet finite supersymmetric renormalizable SO(10) grand unified theory featuring a supersymmetric dynamical breaking mechanism. Our results constitute a step forward towards an ultraviolet safe extension of the Standard Model enjoying the benefits of grand unified theories. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Abstract 6687: Evaluation of a new co-cultured microbiome ecosystem therapy candidate (MaaT034) for clinical testing as adjuvant/neoadjuvant to immune checkpoint inhibitors in solid tumors

Abstract Background: Increasing evidence suggests that gut microbiome composition modulates tumor response to therapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Clinical proofs of concept were obtained in pilot studies using healthy or ICI-responder donor-derived fecal matter transplants to modulate the gut microbiome of non-responding cancer patients and improve their response to ICI. These results support the development of Microbiome Ecosystem TherapiesTM (MET) replicating at large industrial scale the effects of ICI-responders gut microbiome. MaaT Pharma, a clinical-stage biotech, has developed a unique, ground-breaking, patented co-culture process (MET-C). MaaT034, the first-in-class co-cultured microbiome product, has been selected for optimizing intestinal homeostasis and to activate immune functions alone and in combination with an ICI treatment. Method: We combined metagenomic analysis, metabolite quantification by LC-MRM/MS, Caco-2/THP-1 leaky gut model, PBMC assay and mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) to assess the impact of MaaT034 on gut homeostasis and immune activation. Results: Metagenomic analysis demonstrates that MaaT034 replicates the richness and diversity of native-based microbiome ecosystems. Metabolite quantification also revealed that MaaT034 microbes secrete anti-inflammatory metabolites such as short chain fatty acids and indoles, as well as metabolites associated with ICI response such as secondary biliary acids. Using a Caco-2/THP-1 leaky gut model, we then demonstrate that MaaT034 conditioned medium was able to restore the integrity of a THP-1-induced damaged gut barrier. This was associated with and a reduction of inflammatory signals. We further performed a human PBMC assay to evaluate the impact of MaaT034 on immune cell activation. We observed the secretion of immunostimulatory cytokines associated with myeloid cell activation in response to MaaT034 conditioned medium. Notably, anti-CD3 mediated T-cells activation was further increased in response to MaaT034 conditioned medium as evidenced by increased IFNγ release associated with increased Granzyme B and CD25. Finally, MLR was performed to determine the immunomodulatory potential of MaaT034 through the interaction between T-cells and monocytes-derived dendritic cells (moDC). Interestingly, MaaT034 conditioned medium improved moDC maturation as well as moDC-induced T-cell activation. MaaT034 conditioned medium further increased anti-PD-1 mediated T-cell activation, as evidenced by IFNγ release. Conclusion: Altogether, these results highlight the potential of MaaT034 to produce metabolites involved in the restoration of gut barrier integrity and stimulation of immune cell response to ICI therapy, with potential benefit for solid tumors treatment. Citation Format: Bastien Laperrousaz, Julie Reygner, Cyrielle Gasc, Charlotte Petitjean, Aurore Duquenoy, Lora Martin, Vincent Bonnaud, Marianne Robin, Sophie Declomesnil, Carole Schwintner, Nathalie Corvaïa. Evaluation of a new co-cultured microbiome ecosystem therapy candidate (MaaT034) for clinical testing as adjuvant/neoadjuvant to immune checkpoint inhibitors in solid tumors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 6687.

Specific vaginal and gut microbiome and the anti-tumor effect of butyrate in cervical cancer women

ObjectiveTo investigate the vaginal and gut microbes changes during the carcinogenesis of cervical and the auxiliary diagnostic value. To investigate the effect of microbiome-specific metabolites butyric on cervical cancer cells. MethodsWe studied 416 vaginal 16S rRNA sequencing data and 116 gut sequencing data. Reads were processed using VSEARCH. We used Shannon index, Chao1 index, Simpson diversity index, β diversity index, Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe), co-abundance network and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis to explore microbiome differences between groups. We constructed random forest models based on genus and verified its discriminant effect. Finally, we used the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) method to detect cell proliferation capacity and flow cytometry to detect apoptosis and induction of cell cycle progression. ResultsCompared to the non-cancerous population, patients with cervical cancer had unique microbial community characteristics in both vaginal and gut ecological niches. Our predictive model based on genus in two ecological regions achieved high accuracy in the diagnosis of cervical cancer (vaginal model AUC=91.58 %; gut model AUC=99.95 %). Butyric inhibited cervical cancer cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner and promoted apoptosis of cancer cells. ConclusionSignificant differences were found in vaginal and gut microbes in patients with cervical cancer compared to the non-cancerous population. The prediction models constructed at the genus level in both ecological sites have good diagnostic value. Microorganisms may be involved in cervical cancer progression in a metabolite-dependent way, and targeting butyric may provide therapeutic options for cervical cancer.

Generalized missing partner mechanism for SU(5) GUT inflation

Embedding inflation within a grand unified theory is an intriguing idea towards a more fundamental understanding of particle physics and cosmology. However, within the framework of supersymmetric SU(5) grand unified theory inflation, models typically feature light color octets and weak triplets that ruin the successful gauge coupling unification of the mimimal supersymmetric Standard Model. We present a new possibility for naturally splitting the electronlike states from the colored ones within vectorlike 10-plets by utilizing their couplings with 40-plets that lack electronlike states. Together with the extra light weak doublets from the double missing partner mechanism, the appearance of the light electronlike states from our proposed generalized missing partner mechanism restores gauge coupling unification. Remarkably, the same vectorlike 10-plets cure the bad mass relations between the down quarks and the charged leptons. Discovering the light relic states at future colliders would provide a “smoking gun” signal of the scenario. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Nocardia cyriacigeorgica Elicits Gut Disturbances in a Leaky Gut Model of Colitis, but Not the Harmful Cascade Leading to Gut-First Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with an unknown cause. Recent research has highlighted the importance of the gut in neuronal and immune maturation through the exchange of nutrients and cellular signals. This has led to the "gut-first PD" hypothesis, which aims to explain many of the sporadic cases and their prodromal intestinal symptoms, such as constipation and intestinal α-synuclein (aSyn) aggregation. The link between mitochondrial dysfunction and aSyn deposition is central to PD pathophysiology, since they can also trigger pro-inflammatory signals associated with aSyn deposition, potentially contributing to the onset of PD. As mitochondria are derived from ancestral alpha-proteobacteria, other bacteria may specifically target this organelle. We sought to use Nocardia cyriacigeorgica, a bacterium previously associated with parkinsonism, and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) as pro-inflammatory modulators to gain further insight into the onset of PD. This study indicates that aSyn aggregation plus mitochondrial dysfunction without intestinal barrier leakage are not sufficient to trigger gut-first PD.

Development of an Inflamed High Throughput Stem-cell-based Gut Epithelium Model to Assess the Impact of Annexin A1.

Annexin A1 (ANXA1) plays a role in maintaining intestinal hemostasis, especially following mucosal inflammation. The published data about ANXA1 was derived from experimental animal models where there is an overlapping between epithelial and immune cells. There is no in vitro gut epithelial model that can assess the direct effect of ANXA1 on the gut epithelium. We developed high-throughput stem-cell-based murine epithelial cells and bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were used to induce inflammation. The impact of ANXA1 and its functional part (Ac2-26) was evaluated in the inflamed model. Intestinal integrity was assessed by the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), and FITC-Dextran permeability. Epithelial junction proteins were assessed using confocal microscopy and RT-qPCR. Inflammatory cytokines were evaluated by RT-qPCR and ELISA. LPS challenge mediated a damage in the epithelial cells as shown by a drop in the TEER and an increase in FITC-dextran permeability; reduced the expression of epithelial junctional proteins (Occludin, ZO-1, and Cadherin) and increased the expression of the gut leaky protein, Claudin - 2. ANXA1 and Ac2-26 treatment reduced the previous damaging effects. In addition, ANXA1 and Ac2-26 inhibited the inflammatory responses mediated by the LPS and increased the transcription of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10. ANXA1 and Ac2-26 directly protect the epithelial integrity by affecting the expression of epithelial junction and inflammatory markers. The inflamed gut model is a reliable tool to study intestinal inflammatory diseases, and to evaluate the efficacy of potential anti-inflammatory drugs and the screening of new drugs that could be candidates for inflammatory bowel disease.

Testing realistic SO(10) SUSY GUTs with proton decay and gravitational waves

We present a comprehensive analysis of a supersymmetric SO(10) grand unified theory, which is broken to the Standard Model via the breaking of two intermediate symmetries. The spontaneous breaking of the first intermediate symmetry, B−L, leads to the generation of cosmic strings and right-handed neutrino masses and further to an observable cosmological background of gravitational waves and generation of light neutrino masses via type-I seesaw mechanism. Supersymmetry breaking manifests as sparticle masses below the B−L breaking but far above the electroweak scale due to proton decay limits. This naturally pushes the B−L breaking scale close to the grand unified theory scale, leading to the formation of metastable cosmic strings, which can provide a gravitational wave spectrum consistent with the recent pulsar timing arrays observation. We perform a detailed analysis of this model using two-loop renormalization group equations, including threshold corrections, to determine the symmetry-breaking scale consistent with the recent pulsar timing arrays signals such as NANOGrav 15-year data and testable by the next-generation limits on proton decay from Hyper-K and JUNO. Simultaneously, we find the regions of the model parameter space that can predict the measured quark and lepton masses and mixing, baryon asymmetry of our Universe, a viable dark matter candidate and can be tested by a combination of neutrinoless double beta decay searches and limits on the sum of neutrinos masses. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Fermion mass, axion dark matter, and leptogenesis in SO(10) GUT

SO(10) grand unified theory with minimum parameters in the Yukawa sector employs the Peccei-Quinn symmetry that solves the strong CP problem. Such an economical Yukawa sector is highly appealing and has been extensively studied in the literature. However, when the running of the renormalization group equations of the Yukawa couplings are considered, this scenario shows some tension with the observed fermion masses and mixing. In this work, we propose an extension of the minimal framework that utilizes lower dimensional representations and alleviates this tension by introducing only a few new parameters. The proposed model consists of a fermion in the fundamental and a scalar in the spinorial representations. While the latter is needed to implement the Peccei-Quinn symmetry successfully, the presence of both is essential in obtaining an excellent fit to the fermion mass spectrum. In our model, axions serve the role of dark matter, and the out-of-equilibrium decays of the right-handed neutrinos successfully generate the matter-antimatter symmetry of the Universe. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Flipped SU(5): unification, proton decay, fermion masses and gravitational waves

We study supersymmetric (SUSY) flipped SU(5) × U(1) unification, focussing on its predictions for proton decay, fermion masses and gravitational waves. We performed a two-loop renormalisation group analysis and showed that the SUSY flipped SU(5) model predicts a high GUT scale MGUT> 1016 GeV. We also investigated the restrictions on the MB−L scale which is associated with the U(1)χ breaking scale. We found that the MB−L scale can vary in a broad region with negligible or little effect on the value of MGUT. Proton decay in this model is induced by dimension-6 operators only. The dimension-5 operator induced by SUSY contribution is suppressed due to the missing partner mechanism. We found that the partial decay width p → π0e+ is high suppressed, being at least one order of magnitude lower than the future Hyper-K sensitivity. We also studied fermion (including neutrino) masses and mixings which can also influence proton decay. We presented two scenarios of flavour textures to check the consistency of the results with fermion masses and mixing. The B − L gauge breaking leads to the generation of cosmic strings. The B − L scale here is not constrained by gauge coupling unification. If this scale is very close that of GUT breaking, strings can be unstable due to the decay to monopole-antimonople pair. Such metastable strings can be used to explain the NANOGrav signals of stochastic gravitational wave background, which may be interpreted here as resulting from the decay of metastable cosmic strings.

Cosmological variation of the proton-to-electron mass ratio constrained by strong gravitational fields

Exploring the cosmological variations of fundamental dimensionless constants, such as the fine-structure constant, [Formula: see text], the proton-to-electron mass ratio, [Formula: see text], and the gravitational constant, G, is essential for testing new phenomena beyond the standard cosmological models. This study focuses on investigating the potential variation of constants by analyzing strong gravitational fields associated with white dwarf stars. Utilizing the observed spectrum of G191-B2B, we present a new constraint on the cosmological variation of [Formula: see text] over extended time scales, [Formula: see text], incorporating the gravitational redshift [Formula: see text]. This finding represents a new tool for checking the parameters for Grand Unified Theories (GUTs).