Comparison of Vlasov-Uehling-Uhlenbeck model with 4 π Heavy Ion Data

Streamer chamber data for collisions of Ar + KCl and Ar + BaI2 at 1.2 GeV/nucleon are compared with microscopic model predictions based on the Vlasov-Uehling-Uhlenbeck equation, for various density-dependent nuclear equations of state. Multiplicity distributions and inclusive rapidity and transverse momentum spectra are in good agreement. Rapidity spectra show evidence of being useful in determining whether the model uses the correct cross sections for binary collisions in the nuclear medium, and whether momentum-dependent interactions are correctly incorporated. Sideward flow results do not favor the same nuclear stiffness parameter at all multiplicities

Measurement of collective flow in heavy ion collisions using particle pair correlations

We present a new type of flow analysis, based on a particle-pair correlation function, in which there is no need for an event-by-event determination of the reaction plane. Consequently, the need to correct for dispersion in an estimated reaction plane does not arise. Our method also offers the option to avoid any influence from particle misidentification. Using this method, streamer chamber data for collisions of Ar+KCl and Ar+BaI2 at 1.2 GeV/nucleon are compared with predictions of a nuclear transport model

Collective motion in Ar+Pb collision at beam energies between 400 and 1800 MeV/nucleon

The energy dependence of rapidity distributions and flow effects was studied in central Ar+Pb collisions at 400, 800, and 1800 MeV/nucleon using a streamer chamber. Rapidity distributions for proton and pions are found to have a Gaussian shape whereas those for deuterons exhibit a two-peak structure at the two higher energies. The average in-plane transverse momentum per/nucleon and per/event shows saturation of flow around 800 MeV/nucleon for this asymmetric system. The aspect ratio of the sphericity tensor is closely correlated with the flow angle. This correlation appears to be independent of beam energy. The number of participating nucleons in central collisions varies from 213 at 400 to 135 at 1800 MeV/nucleon indicating that at the lowest energy almost the entire target nucleus participates in the collision.weitere Autoren

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Central Collisions of Heavy Ions

This report describes the activities of the Heavy Ion Physics Group at the University of California, Riverside from October 1, 1990 to September 30, 1991. During this period, our program focuses on particle production at AGS energies, and correlation studies at the Bevalac in nucleus central collisions. We participated in the preparation of letters of intent for two RHIC experiments -- the OASIS proposal and the Di-Muon proposal -- and worked on two RHIC R D efforts -- a silicon strip detector project and a muon-identifier project. A small fraction of time was also devoted to physics programs outside the realm of heavy ion reactions by several individuals

Particle production measurements by E802/E859/E866 and recent results from NMA in {sup 196}Au + {sup 196}Au collisions at 11.6 A{center_dot}GeV/c

A summary of the particle production measurements in relativistic nucleus-nucleus collisions by the E802/E859/E866 Collaboration at the Brookhaven National Laboratory AGS-Tandem accelerator complex is presented. These results have been collected since 1986 through a series of experiments using the E802/E859/E866 spectrometer/calorimeter system. Also included are the latest results from the E866 collaboration using the New Multiplicity Array (NMA) detector for pion multiplicity measurements and for global event characterization of large entropy production in central Au + Au collisions. The detector consists of 346 lucite Cerenkov modulus surrounding the target, covering the pseudorapidity interval between {minus}0.4 and 2.8

Magnetic microswarm and fluoroscopy-guided platform for biofilm eradication in biliary stents

Biofilm eradication from medical implants is of fundamental importance, and the treatment of biofilm-associated pathogen infections on inaccessible biliary stents remains challenging. Magnetically driven microrobots with controlled motility, accessibility to the tiny lumen, and swarm enhancement effects can physically disrupt the deleterious biostructures while not developing drug resistance. Magnetic urchin-like capsule robots (MUCRs) loaded with magnetic liquid metal droplets (MLMDs, antibacterial agents) are designed using natural sunflower pollen, and the therapeutic effect of swarming MUCR@MLMDs is explored for eradicating complex mixtures of bacterial biofilm within biliary stents collected from patients. The external magnetic field triggers the emergence of the microswarm and induces MLMDs to transform their shape into spheroids and rods with sharp edges. The inherent natural microspikes of MUCRs and the obtained sharp edges of MLMDs actively rupture the dense biological matrix and multiple species of embedded bacterial cells by exerting mechanical force, finally achieving synergistic biofilm eradication. The microswarm is precisely and rapidly deployed into the biliary stent via endoscopy in 10 min. Notably, fluoroscopy imaging is used to track and navigate the locomotion of microswarm in biliary stents in real-time. The microswarm has great potential for treating bacterial biofilm infections associated with medical implants.The research work was financially supported by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) with project No E-CUHK401/20 and with project No. GRF14300621; the ITF project with Project No MRP/036/18X funded by the HKSAR Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC); the Croucher Foundation Grant with Ref. No. CAS20403, and the CUHK internal grants