Radiative Leptonic Decays of BcB_c Meson

To the leading order, the radiative leptonic decays $B_c \to \gamma \ell \bar \nu$ ($\ell=e, \mu$) are studied carefully. In the study, a non-relativistic constituent quark model and the effective Lagrangian for the heavy flavour decays are used. As a result, the branching ratios turn out to be of the orders of $10^{-5}$ for $B_c \to \gamma \mu \bar \nu$ or for $B_c \to \gamma e \bar \nu$. Based on this study, we point out the decays being accessible experimentally at the future LHC, and the possibility to determine the decay constant $f_{B_c}$ through the radiative decays.Comment: 9 pages Latex, including 2 figure

Tetravalent edge-transitive Cayley graphs with odd number of vertices

AbstractA characterisation is given of edge-transitive Cayley graphs of valency 4 on odd number of vertices. The characterisation is then applied to solve several problems in the area of edge-transitive graphs: answering a question proposed by Xu [Automorphism groups and isomorphisms of Cayley graphs, Discrete Math. 182 (1998) 309–319] regarding normal Cayley graphs; providing a method for constructing edge-transitive graphs of valency 4 with arbitrarily large vertex-stabiliser; constructing and characterising a new family of half-transitive graphs. Also this study leads to a construction of the first family of arc-transitive graphs of valency 4 which are non-Cayley graphs and have a ‘nice’ isomorphic 2-factorisation

TETRAVALENT EDGE-TRANSITIVE CAYLEY GRAPHS WITH ODD NUMBER OF VERTICES

Abstract. A characterisation is given of edge-transitive Cayley graphs of valency 4 on odd number of vertices. The characterisation is then applied to solve several problems in the area of edge-transitive graphs: answering a question proposed by Xu (1998) regarding normal Cayley graphs; providing a method for constructing edge-transitive graphs of valency 4 with arbitrarily large vertex-stabiliser; constructing and characterising a new family of halftransitive graphs. Also this study leads to a construction of the first family of arc-transitive graphs of valency 4 which are non-Cayley graphs and have a 'nice' isomorphic 2-factorisation

Supplementation with probiotics modifies gut flora and attenuates liver fat accumulation in rat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease model

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between gut probiotic flora and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in a diet-induced rat model, and to compare the effects of two different probiotic strains on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into 4 groups for 12 weeks: control (standard rat chow), model (fat-rich diet), Lactobacillus (fat-rich diet plus Lactobacillus acidophilus), and Bifidobacterium (fat-rich diet plus Bifidobacterium longum) groups. Probiotics were provided to rats in drinking water (1010/ml). Gut bifidobacteria and lactobacilli were obviously lower at weeks 8 and 10, respectively, in the model group compared with the control group. Supplementation with Bifidobacterium significantly attenuated hepatic fat accumulation (0.10 ± 0.03 g/g liver tissue) compared with the model group (0.16 ± 0.03 g/g liver tissue). However, there was no improvement in intestinal permeability in either the Lactobacillus or the Bifidobacterium group compared with the model group. In all 40 rats, the hepatic total lipid content was negatively correlated with gut Lactobacillus (r = −0.623, p = 0.004) and Bifidobacterium (r = −0.591, p = 0.008). Oral supplementation with probiotics attenuates hepatic fat accumulation. Further, Bifidobacterium longum is superior in terms of attenuating liver fat accumulation than is Lactobacillus acidophilus

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in China: A comprehensive meta-analysis

There are conflicting prevalence estimates of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in mainland China (China thereafter). This study is a comprehensive meta-analysis of the pooled prevalence of ASDs in the general population in China. Study investigators independently conducted a systematic literature search of the following databases: PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese biomedical literature service system, and Wan Fang. Studies reporting prevalence of ASDs and autism in Chinese population were identified and analysed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis program with the random effects model. Forty-four studies were included in the meta-analysis comprising 2,337,321 subjects of whom 46.66 % were females. The mean age of subjects ranged from 1.6 to 8 years. Based on diagnostic criteria the pooled prevalence of ASDs was 39.23 per 10,000 (95% CI: 28.44-50.03 per 10,000, I2=89.2%); specifically, the prevalence of autism was 10.18 per 10,000 (95% CI: 8.46-11.89 per 10,000, I2=92.5%). Subgroup analyses revealed significant difference in the prevalence of ASDs between genders (72.77 per 10,000 in males vs. 16.45 per 10,000 in females). In conclusion, the prevalence of ASDs and autism in China was found generally lower than those reported in other countries. Further studies are needed to clarify the variation in prevalence

The Viscoelasticity Model of Corn Straw under the Different Moisture Contents

Viscoelastic model of corn straw, based on different moisture contents, is set up to characterise the deformation through three-point bending test. The model contains a linear elastic element, a damping element, and a nonlinear elastic element. The parameters of the model are determined according to the features of three-point bending test curve and characteristic of the model. The relationships between mechanical properties, energy absorption behavior of corn stalk, and moisture content have been, respectively, analysed. And regression analysis and curve fitting have been conducted based on various parameters and moisture contents with Matlab. These parameters provide the basis for straw crushing equipment design

Lead contamination alters enzyme activities and microbial composition in the rhizosphere soil of the hyperaccumulator Pogonatherum crinitum

Pogonatherum crinitum is a promising lead (Pb) hyperaccumulator; however, the effects of Pb contamination on P. crinitum rhizosphere soil enzymatic activities and microbial composition remain largely unexplored. Thus, an indoor experiment was conducted by cultivating P. crinitum seedlings and exposing them to four Pb concentrations (0, 1,000, 2000 and 3000 mg/kg Pb). Protease, urease, acid phosphatase and invertase activities were determined using standard methods while soil bacterial composition was determined by 16 S rDNA sequencing. The results showed that rhizosphere soil acid phosphatase activity significantly increased with increasing Pb concentration, while urease activity was significantly greater in rhizosphere soil contaminated with 1000 and 2000 mg/kg than in the control. There was a clear shift in bacterial composition during phytoremediation by P. crinitum. Compared to the control, Bacteroidetes was more abundant in all Pb-contaminated soils, Actinobacteria was more abundant in 1000 mg/kg Pb-treated soil, and Firmicutes was more abundant in 3000 mg/kg Pb-treated soil. Positive correlations were observed between dominant bacterial phyla and soil enzyme activities. Metabolic pathways, such as ABC transporter, quinine reductase, and ATP-binding protein were significantly increased in rhizosphere soil bacteria with Pb contamination. In conclusion, Pb contamination differentially influenced the activities of rhizosphere soil enzymes, specifically increasing acid phosphatase and urease activities, and alters the dominance of soil bacteria through up-regulation of genes related to some metabolic pathways. The strong correlations between dominant bacterial phyla and enzymatic activities suggest synergetic effects on the growth of P. crinitum during Pb contamination