Two Particle Azimuthal Correlations in 4.2A GeV C+Ta Collisions

Two particle azimuthal correlations are studied in 4.2A GeV C+Ta collisions observed with the 2-m propane bubble chamber exposed at JINR Dubna Synchrophasotron. The correlations are analyzed both for protons and negative pions, and their dependence on the collision centrality, rapidity and rapidity difference is investigated. It is found that protons show a weak back-to-back correlations, while a side-by-side correlations are observed for negative pions. Restricting both protons to the target or projectile fragmentation region, the side-by-side correlations are observed for protons also. Using the two particle correlation function, the flow analysis is performed and intensity of directed flow is determined without event-by event estimation of the reaction plane.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Electrical characteristics of female and male human skin

Bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) is a popular method for characterizing the electrical properties of biological tissues. In this study, BIS measurement data of female and male human skin were analyzed and compared. The electrical characteristics of tissue were followed according to four-parameters of the Cole-Cole model: low frequency resistance R0; high frequency resistance R∞; relaxation time t and parameter a. Individual electrical characteristics of human skin were determined for 30 women and 30 men. The distribution and one-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) of the Cole-Cole parameters R0, R∞, t, a within the human population indicated their different dependence on gender. Parameter a, which is higher in the female subjects (a =0.83±0.03) than in the male subjects (a=0.7±0.05), is strongly dependent on gender (p=0). Parameter R∞ also significantly depends on gender (p=0.002), while t and R0 seem to be slightly related to gender (p>0.05). [Acknowledgments - This work was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Serbia (41006).

Response of Italian ryegrass seed crop to spring nitrogen application in the first harvest year

Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) cv. Tetraflorum was sown with different nitrogen application rates and it was tested under the agroecological conditions of Western Serbia. Four-year field experiments were carried out from 2002 to 2006 and the biometric characteristics of generative tillers, seed yield and shoot dry matter (herbage yield) were measured during the first production year. Italian ryegrass crop was established with four spring nitrogen application rates: 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg ha-1. Tiller length was not affected by nitrogen application, while two other tiller parameters were much more affected by the treatments. The maximum seed yield in the first production year varied among treatments depending on season conditions. Harvest characteristics were impacted by nitrogen application; however, there was an opposite impact in arid and humid weather conditions. The N application of 50 kg ha-1 was found to be the optimal for seed production in those conditions. Higher rates of N application (100 to 150 kg ha-1) had either no impact on seed yield, or decreased the yield of seed as a result of ryegrass lodging following seed shedding. Abundant shoot dry matter was obtained in some treatment variants, but there was no linear correlation between seed yield and yield components.Key words: Harvest characteristics, Italian ryegrass, nitrogen application, seed yield

Physical Parameters Of The Relativistic Shock Waves In GRBs: The Case Of 30 GRBs

Using the modified internal shock wave model we fit the gamma ray burst (GRB) light and spectral curves of 30 GRBs observed with BATSE. From the best fitting we obtain basic parameters of the relativistic shells which are in good agreement with predictions given earlier. We compare measured GRB parameters with those obtained from the model and discuss connections between them in the frame of the physical processes laying behind GRB events.Comment: 18 pages, 30 figures, 2 tables, Accepted for publication in IJMP

Proton stopping in C+C, d+C, C+Ta and d+Ta collisions at 4.2A GeV/c

The shape of proton rapidity distributions is analysed in terms of their Gaussian components, and the average rapidity loss is determined in order to estimate the amount of stopping in C+C, d+C, C+Ta and d+Ta collisions at 4.2A GeV/c. Three Gaussians correspond to the nuclear transparency and describe well all peripheral and also C+C central collisions. Two-component shape is obtained in case of d+C and C+Ta central collisions. Finally one Gaussian, found in d+Ta central collisions, corresponds to the full stopping. The calculated values of the average rapidity loss support the qualitative relationship between the number of Gaussian components and the corresponding stopping power. It is also observed, in central collisions, that the average rapidity loss increases with the ratio of the number of target and the number of projectile participants.Comment: 9 pages REVTeX, 1 PS figure replaced, to be published in Phys.Rev.

Prinos suve materije i produkcija proteina lucerke, ježevice, livadskog vijuka, engleskog ljulja i njihovih smeša sa različitim dozama azotnog đubriva

Grass-leguminous mixtures and pure crops are important for ensuring of sufficient quantities of high quality roughage, especially in conditions of low land livestock production, in conditions of farm housing system as well as in the system of free grazing of animals. Studies were carried out on pure crops of three grass species and their mixtures with different component ratios. Fertilization using different doses of nitrogen led to considerable increase of yield of pure crops and their mixtures. The highest yields were recorded in treatment with 100 kgN ha- 1, and the lowest yield in treatment without fertilization. Fertilization led to decrease of share of alfalfa, meadow fescue and perennial ryegrass in dry matter, and increased the content of cocksfoot. The highest protein yield of pure crops was recorded for perennial ryegrass - 495.5, and in mixtures, the highest protein yield was recorded for four component mixture of alfalfa, cocksfoot, meadow fescue and perennial ryegrass of 568.0 kg ha-1. Fertilization with N increased protein yield considerably in pure crops as well as in their mixtures.Travno-leguminozne smeše kao i usevi čistih kultura su od značaja za obezbeđenje kvalitetne kabaste stočne hrane, naročito u uslovima nizijskog stočarstva, u uslovima farmskog držanja kao i pri slobodnom sistemu ispaše životinja. Istraživanja su obavljena na čistim usevima tri vrste trava i lucerke, najzastupljenije leguminoze kod nas, kao i njihovih smeša u različitom odnosu učešća pojedinih komponenti. Đubrenje različitim količinama azota dovelo je do značajnog povećanja prinosa kako čistih useva tako i njihovih smeša. Najvećim prinosima odlikuju se tretmani sa 100 kgN ha-1, a najmanjim tretmani bez đubrenja. Đubrenje je smanjilo sadržaj lucerke, livadskog vijuka i engleskog ljulja u suvoj materiji travnjaka, a povećalo sadržaj ježevice. Najvećim prinosom proteina od čistih useva odlikuje se engleski ljulj (495,5 kg ha-1), a od smeša četvorokomponentna smeša lucerke, ježevice, livadskog vijuka i engleskog ljulja (568,0 kg ha-1). Đubrenje N je značajno povećalo prinos proteina kako kod čistih useva tako i kod njihovih smeša

Changes in techno-functional properties of maize flours induced by dry-heat treatment

of the flours by reducing the enzyme activity and moisture content. Besides the biological effects, the dry-heat process has a significant impact on the techno-functional and nutritional properties of flours. Hence, the effects of the dry heat treatment at different temperatures: 100, 125, 135, 150, and 165°C, on the technological and functional properties, as well as antioxidant capacity of maize flours were investigated. The experimental material consisted of two maize hybrids with different colors and kernel types (white-standard and blue-popping). Maize samples were ground on a lab mill to a fine powder (<500μm) and flour samples evenly spread on a glass plate and thermally treated for 1 h in a ventilation oven Memmert UF55. Results showed that dry heat treatment increased the insoluble dietary fibre and free phenolic compounds of the investigated maize flours, while the bound phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and pasting properties decreased with the rising of the applied temperature. The antioxidant capacity ranged from 10.05 to 13.32 mmol Trolox Eq/kg and 20.51 to 24.03 mmol Trolox Eq/kg in white and blue maize flour, respectively. The water absorption index showed an increase to a temperature of 135°C after which it began to decrease and reached a minimum at a temperature of 165°C. Meanwhile, the solubility index increased with an increase of temperature, and doubled its value after a temperature of 135°C. The dry-heat treatments largely modulated pasting properties of maize flours. The untreated maize flour samples showed a higher peak viscosity than the treated samples. Especially, white and blue maize flour samples at 165oC reached the lowest viscosity value of all samples and the result was attributed to the structural changes in flour. Dry-heat treatment had a significant effect on the maize flour color parameters and the results of the parameters L*, a* and b* indicated that the flour showed darkening and browning effect as the dry heat treatment temperature increased. Browning also indicates the formation of melanoidins as the end-product of the Maillard reaction, which confirms the maximum value of antioxidant capacity at a temperature of 165°C. All results showed that a temperature of 135°C had favorable impact on the techno-functionality of maize flours. However, due to the different kernel structures of the used maize genotypes and inter-relations between chemical compounds within the food matrix, the overall impact of dry-heat treatments was not completely elucidated

Structural and electrical transport properties of superconducting Au{0.7}In{0.3} films: A random array of superconductor-normal metal-superconductor (SNS) Josephson junctions

The structural and superconducting properties of Au{0.7}In{0.3} films, grown by interdiffusion of alternating Au and In layers, have been studied. The films were found to consist of a uniform solid solution of Au{0.9}In{0.1}, with excess In precipitated in the form of In-rich grains of various Au-In phases (with distinct atomic compositions), including intermetallic compounds. As the temperature was lowered, these individual grains became superconducting at a particular transition temperature (Tc), determined primarily by the atomic composition of the grain, before a fully superconducting state of zero resistance was established. From the observed onset Tc, it was inferred that up to three different superconducting phases could have formed in these Au{0.7}In{0.3} films, all of which were embedded in a uniform Au{0.9}In{0.1} matrix. Among these phases, the Tc of a particular one, 0.8 K, is higher than any previously reported for the Au-In system. The electrical transport properties were studied down to low temperatures. The transport results were found to be well correlated with those of the structural studies. The present work suggests that Au{0.7}In{0.3} can be modeled as a random array of superconductor-normal metal-superconductor (SNS) Josephson junctions. The effect of disorder and the nature of the superconducting transition in these Au{0.7}In{0.3} films are discussed.Comment: 8 text pages, 10 figures in one separate PDF file, submitted to PR

Association between active pulmonary tuberculosis and miRNA-146a: A preliminary study from Serbia

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a significant public health problem. The role of small non-coding RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), was investigated extensively in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection as well as in a variety of other pathophysiological processes in recent years. It was found that miRNAs act as regulators of both early reaction to MTB infection and in process of adaptation of the host immune cells during latent course of the disease. Molecule miRNA-146a is expressed exclusively in immune cells and it has the most prominent role in modulation of innate immunity. Methodology: We investigated the level of expression of miRNA-146a using an RT-qPCR technique in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 44 patients with active pulmonary TB and 17 healthy individuals. We also analyzed the significance of miRNA-146a rs2910164 SNV for expression profile of miRNA-146a, in order to investigate potential usage of miRNA-146a as a biomarker for TB. Results: There was statistically significant decrease of expression of miRNA-146a in TB group compared to control group. When gender cohorts were analyzed, the expression levels in TB male and TB female subgroup were significantly lower than the expression levels in the same gender control subgroups. Conclusions: Our results indicate that miRNA-146a plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of TB, suggesting that miRNA-146a could be used as a biomarker for active pulmonary TB

Cascades with Adjoint Matter: Adjoint Transitions

A large class of duality cascades based on quivers arising from non-isolated singularities enjoy adjoint transitions - a phenomenon which occurs when the gauge coupling of a node possessing adjoint matter is driven to strong coupling in a manner resulting in a reduction of rank in the non-Abelian part of the gauge group and a subsequent flow to weaker coupling. We describe adjoint transitions in a simple family of cascades based on a Z2-orbifold of the conifold using field theory. We show that they are dual to Higgsing and produce varying numbers of U(1) factors, moduli, and monopoles in a manner which we calculate. This realizes a large family of cascades which proceed through Seiberg duality and Higgsing. We briefly describe the supergravity limit of our analysis, as well as a prescription for treating more general theories. A special role is played by N=2 SQCD. Our results suggest that additional light fields are typically generated when UV completing certain constructions of spontaneous supersymmetry breaking into cascades, potentially leading to instabilities.Comment: 29 pages, a few typos fixed, improved discussion, added figure; now there is 1 figur