Protein quality of amaranth grains cultivated in Ethiopia as affected by popping and fermentation

The effect of popping and fermentation on protein quality of three different varieties of amaranth grains cultivated in Ethiopia was evaluated. Total lysine content of the grains was higher than that of commonly available cereals but close to that of legumes. Methionine and cysteine contents in the grains were also higher than that found in cereal and legume proteins. Percentage of total indispensable amino acids, excluding tryptophan, was 43% - 49%, which was higher than WHO reference pattern (31%). Popping resulted in 36% and 37% reduction in total lysine and cysteine contents, respectively, whereas fermentation reduced cysteine, lysine and methionine contents by 16%, 20% and 20%, respectively. From the free amino acids, histidine was the major indispensable amino acid but threonine was not detected. During popping, all free amino acids, except threonine, were reduced. On the other hand, fermentation significantly increased (p < 0.01) most amino acids except arginine, which was significantly decreased (p < 0.01), and tyrosine and glutamic acid, for which no change was observed. Popping decreased in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) by 8.3% - 17.1% while fermentation increased IVPD by 4.8% - 7.5%. Substitution of amaranth for wheat and/or maize during complementary food formulation could contribute much to the daily requirements of indispensable amino acids of young children

Observation of an Excited Bc+ State

Using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 8.5 fb-1 recorded by the LHCb experiment at center-of-mass energies of s=7, 8, and 13 TeV, the observation of an excited Bc+ state in the Bc+π+π- invariant-mass spectrum is reported. The observed peak has a mass of 6841.2±0.6(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, where the last uncertainty is due to the limited knowledge of the Bc+ mass. It is consistent with expectations of the Bc∗(2S31)+ state reconstructed without the low-energy photon from the Bc∗(1S31)+→Bc+γ decay following Bc∗(2S31)+→Bc∗(1S31)+π+π-. A second state is seen with a global (local) statistical significance of 2.2σ (3.2σ) and a mass of 6872.1±1.3(stat)±0.1(syst)±0.8(Bc+) MeV/c2, and is consistent with the Bc(2S10)+ state. These mass measurements are the most precise to date

Under the Skin of a Lion: Unique Evidence of Upper Paleolithic Exploitation and Use of Cave Lion (Panthera spelaea) from the Lower Gallery of La Garma (Spain)

ABSTRACT: Pleistocene skinning and exploitation of carnivore furs have been previously inferred from archaeological evidence. Nevertheless, the evidence of skinning and fur processing tends to be weak and the interpretations are not strongly sustained by the archaeological record. In the present paper, we analyze unique evidence of patterned anthropic modification and skeletal representation of fossil remains of cave lion (Panthera spelaea) from the Lower Gallery of La Garma (Cantabria, Spain). This site is one of the few that provides Pleistocene examples of lion exploitation by humans. Our archaeozoological study suggests that lion-specialized pelt exploitation and use might have been related to ritual activities during the Middle Magdalenian period (ca. 14800 cal BC). Moreover, the specimens also represent the southernmost European and the latest evidence of cave lion exploitation in Iberia. Therefore, the study seeks to provide alternative explanations for lion extinction in Eurasia and argues for a role of hunting as a factor to take into account

The Biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea: Estimates, Patterns, and Threats

The Mediterranean Sea is a marine biodiversity hot spot. Here we combined an extensive literature analysis with expert opinions to update publicly available estimates of major taxa in this marine ecosystem and to revise and update several species lists. We also assessed overall spatial and temporal patterns of species diversity and identified major changes and threats. Our results listed approximately 17,000 marine species occurring in the Mediterranean Sea. However, our estimates of marine diversity are still incomplete as yet—undescribed species will be added in the future. Diversity for microbes is substantially underestimated, and the deep-sea areas and portions of the southern and eastern region are still poorly known. In addition, the invasion of alien species is a crucial factor that will continue to change the biodiversity of the Mediterranean, mainly in its eastern basin that can spread rapidly northwards and westwards due to the warming of the Mediterranean Sea. Spatial patterns showed a general decrease in biodiversity from northwestern to southeastern regions following a gradient of production, with some exceptions and caution due to gaps in our knowledge of the biota along the southern and eastern rims. Biodiversity was also generally higher in coastal areas and continental shelves, and decreases with depth. Temporal trends indicated that overexploitation and habitat loss have been the main human drivers of historical changes in biodiversity. At present, habitat loss and degradation, followed by fishing impacts, pollution, climate change, eutrophication, and the establishment of alien species are the most important threats and affect the greatest number of taxonomic groups. All these impacts are expected to grow in importance in the future, especially climate change and habitat degradation. The spatial identification of hot spots highlighted the ecological importance of most of the western Mediterranean shelves (and in particular, the Strait of Gibraltar and the adjacent Alboran Sea), western African coast, the Adriatic, and the Aegean Sea, which show high concentrations of endangered, threatened, or vulnerable species. The Levantine Basin, severely impacted by the invasion of species, is endangered as well

Measurement of the branching fraction and CP asymmetry in B plus . J/.. plus decays

The branching fraction and direct $C\!P$ asymmetry of the decay $B^{+}\rightarrow J/\psi \rho^{+}$ are measured using proton-proton collision data collected with the LHCb detector at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 3\mbox{fb}^{-1}. The following results are obtained: \begin{align} \mathcal{B}(B^{+}\rightarrow J/\psi \rho^{+}) &= (3.81 ^{+0.25}_{-0.24} \pm 0.35) \times 10^{-5}, \nonumber \\ \mathcal{A}^{C\!P} (B^{+}\rightarrow J/\psi \rho^{+}) &= -0.045^{+0.056}_{-0.057} \pm 0.008, \nonumber \end{align} where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. Both measurements are the most precise to date.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2018-036.htm

Search for CPCP violation through an amplitude analysis of D0→K+K−π+π−D^0 \to K^+ K^- \pi^+ \pi^- decays

International audienceA search for CP violation in the Cabibbo-suppressed D$^{0}$ → K$^{+}$K$^{−}$π$^{+}$π$^{−}$ decay mode is performed using an amplitude analysis. The measurement uses a sample of pp collisions recorded by the LHCb experiment during 2011 and 2012, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb$^{−1}$. The D$^{0}$ mesons are reconstructed from semileptonic b-hadron decays into D$^{0}$μ$^{−}$X final states. The selected sample contains more than 160 000 signal decays, allowing the most precise amplitude modelling of this D$^{0}$ decay to date. The obtained amplitude model is used to perform the search for CP violation. The result is compatible with CP symmetry, with a sensitivity ranging from 1% to 15% depending on the amplitude considered

Observation of CP Violation in Charm Decays

A search for charge-parity (CP) violation in D-0 -&gt; K-K+ and D-0 -&gt; pi(-)pi(+) decays is reported, using pp collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.9 fb(-1) collected at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the LHCb detector. The flavor of the charm meson is inferred from the charge of the pion in D* (2010)(+) -&gt; D-0 pi(+) decays or from the charge of the muon in (B) over bar -&gt; D-0 mu(-)(nu) over bar X-mu decays. The difference between the CP asymmetries in D-0 -&gt; K-K+ and D-0 -&gt; pi(-)pi(+) decays is measured to be Delta A(CP) = [-18.2 +/- 3.2(stat) +/- 0.9(syst)] x 10(-4) for pi-tagged and Delta A(CP) = [-9 +/- 8(stat) +/- 5(syst)] x 10(-4) for mu-tagged D-0 mesons. Combining these with previous LHCb results leads to Delta A(CP) = (-15.4 +/- 2.9) x 10(-4), where the uncertainty includes both statistical and systematic contributions. The measured value differs from zero by more than 5 standard deviations. This is the first observation of CP violation in the decay of charm hadrons

Measurement of B+, B0 and Λb0 production in pPb collisions at √sNN=8.16 TeV

The production of B + , B 0 and Λ 0 b hadrons is studied in proton-lead collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of √ s NN = 8.16     TeV recorded with the LHCb detector at the LHC. The measurement uses a dataset corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 12.2 ± 0.3     nb − 1 for the case where the proton beam is projected into the LHCb detector (corresponding to measuring hadron production at positive rapidity) and 18.6 ± 0.5     nb − 1 for the lead beam projected into the LHCb detector (corresponding to measuring hadron production at negative rapidity). Double-differential cross sections are measured and used to determine forward-backward ratios and nuclear modification factors, which directly probe nuclear effects in the production of beauty hadrons. The double-differential cross sections are measured as a function of the beauty-hadron transverse momentum and rapidity in the nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass frame. Forward-to-backward cross section ratios and nuclear modification factors indicate a significant nuclear suppression at positive rapidity. The ratio of Λ 0 b over B 0 production cross sections is reported and is consistent with the corresponding measurement in p p collisions