152 research outputs found
Tolerance of Artemia to static and shock pressure loading
Hydrostatic and hydrodynamic pressure loading has been applied to unicellular organisms for a number of years due to interest from food technology and extremophile communities. There is also an emerging interest in the response of multicellular organisms to high pressure conditions. Artemia salina is one such organism. Previous experiments have shown a marked difference in the hatching rate of these organisms after exposure to different magnitudes of pressure, with hydrostatic tests showing hatching rates at pressures up to several GPa, compared to dynamic loading that resulted in comparatively low survival rates at lower pressure magnitudes. In order to begin to investigate the origin of this difference, the work presented here has focussed on the response of Artemia salina to (quasi) one-dimensional shock loading. Such experiments were carried out using the plate-impact technique in order to create a planar shock front. Artemia cysts were investigated in this manner along with freshly hatched larvae (nauplii). The nauplii and cysts were observed post-shock using optical microscopy to detect motility or hatching, respectively. Hatching rates of 18% were recorded at pressures reaching 1.5 GPa, as determined with the aid of numerical models. Subjecting Artemia to quasi-one-dimensional shock loading offers a way to more thoroughly explore the shock pressure ranges these organisms can survive
On the response of Escherichia coli to high rates of deformation
While a large body of work exists on the low strain-rate loading of biological systems such as bacteria, there is a paucity of information on the response of such organisms at high rates of deformation. Here, the response of a readily accessible strain of bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli), has been examined under shock loading conditions. Although previous studies have shown greatly reduced growth in shock conditions up to several GPa, relationships between loading conditions and bacterial response have yet to be fully elucidated. Initial results of a more rigorous investigation into the 1D shock loading response of E. coli are presented here, expectantly leading to a more comprehensive view of its behaviour when exposed to high pressures. Comparison has been drawn to provide insight into the importance of the nature of the loading regime to the survival of these biological systems
Changes in agonist neural drive, hypertrophy and pre-training strength all contribute to the individual strength gains after resistance training.
PURPOSE:
Whilst neural and morphological adaptations following resistance training (RT) have been investigated extensively at a group level, relatively little is known about the contribution of specific physiological mechanisms, or pre-training strength, to the individual changes in strength following training. This study investigated the contribution of multiple underpinning neural [agonist EMG (QEMGMVT), antagonist EMG (HEMGANTAG)] and morphological variables [total quadriceps volume (QUADSVOL), and muscle fascicle pennation angle (QUADSθ p)], as well as pre-training strength, to the individual changes in strength after 12 weeks of knee extensor RT.
METHODS:
Twenty-eight healthy young men completed 12 weeks of isometric knee extensor RT (3/week). Isometric maximum voluntary torque (MVT) was assessed pre- and post-RT, as were simultaneous neural drive to the agonist (QEMGMVT) and antagonist (HEMGANTAG). In addition QUADSVOL was determined with MRI and QUADSθ p with B-mode ultrasound.
RESULTS:
Percentage changes (∆) in MVT were correlated to ∆QEMGMVT (r = 0.576, P = 0.001), ∆QUADSVOL (r = 0.461, P = 0.014), and pre-training MVT (r = -0.429, P = 0.023), but not ∆HEMGANTAG (r = 0.298, P = 0.123) or ∆QUADSθ p (r = -0.207, P = 0.291). Multiple regression analysis revealed 59.9% of the total variance in ∆MVT after RT to be explained by ∆QEMGMVT (30.6%), ∆QUADSVOL (18.7%), and pre-training MVT (10.6%).
CONCLUSIONS:
Changes in agonist neural drive, quadriceps muscle volume and pre-training strength combined to explain the majority of the variance in strength changes after knee extensor RT (~60%) and adaptations in agonist neural drive were the most important single predictor during this short-term intervention
Study of B0(s)→K0Sh+h′− decays with first observation of B0s→K0SK±π∓ and B0s→K0Sπ+π−
A search for charmless three-body decays of B 0 and B0s mesons with a K0S meson in the final state is performed using the pp collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1, collected at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV recorded by the LHCb experiment. Branching fractions of the B0(s)→K0Sh+h′− decay modes (h (′) = π, K), relative to the well measured B0→K0Sπ+π− decay, are obtained. First observation of the decay modes B0s→K0SK±π∓ and B0s→K0Sπ+π− and confirmation of the decay B0→K0SK±π∓ are reported. The following relative branching fraction measurements or limits are obtained B(B0→K0SK±π∓)B(B0→K0Sπ+π−)=0.128±0.017(stat.)±0.009(syst.), B(B0→K0SK+K−)B(B0→K0Sπ+π−)=0.385±0.031(stat.)±0.023(syst.), B(B0s→K0Sπ+π−)B(B0→K0Sπ+π−)=0.29±0.06(stat.)±0.03(syst.)±0.02(fs/fd), B(B0s→K0SK±π∓)B(B0→K0Sπ+π−)=1.48±0.12(stat.)±0.08(syst.)±0.12(fs/fd)B(B0s→K0SK+K−)B(B0→K0Sπ+π−)∈[0.004;0.068]at90%CL
Study of decays to the final state and evidence for the decay
A study of decays is performed for the first time
using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0
collected by the LHCb experiment in collisions at centre-of-mass energies
of and TeV. Evidence for the decay
is reported with a significance of 4.0 standard deviations, resulting in the
measurement of
to
be .
Here denotes a branching fraction while and
are the production cross-sections for and mesons.
An indication of weak annihilation is found for the region
, with a significance of
2.4 standard deviations.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and
additional information, are available at
https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2016-022.html,
link to supplemental material inserted in the reference
Differential branching fraction and angular analysis of decays
The differential branching fraction of the rare decay is measured as a function of , the
square of the dimuon invariant mass. The analysis is performed using
proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0
\mbox{ fb}^{-1}, collected by the LHCb experiment. Evidence of signal is
observed in the region below the square of the mass. Integrating
over 15 < q^{2} < 20 \mbox{ GeV}^2/c^4 the branching fraction is measured as
d\mathcal{B}(\Lambda^{0}_{b} \rightarrow \Lambda \mu^+\mu^-)/dq^2 = (1.18 ^{+
0.09} _{-0.08} \pm 0.03 \pm 0.27) \times 10^{-7} ( \mbox{GeV}^{2}/c^{4})^{-1},
where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic and due to the
normalisation mode, , respectively.
In the intervals where the signal is observed, angular distributions are
studied and the forward-backward asymmetries in the dimuon ()
and hadron () systems are measured for the first time. In the
range 15 < q^2 < 20 \mbox{ GeV}^2/c^4 they are found to be A^{l}_{\rm FB} =
-0.05 \pm 0.09 \mbox{ (stat)} \pm 0.03 \mbox{ (syst)} and A^{h}_{\rm FB} =
-0.29 \pm 0.07 \mbox{ (stat)} \pm 0.03 \mbox{ (syst)}.Comment: 27 pages, 10 figures, Erratum adde
Sediment source fingerprinting: benchmarking recent outputs, remaining challenges and emerging themes
Abstract: Purpose: This review of sediment source fingerprinting assesses the current state-of-the-art, remaining challenges and emerging themes. It combines inputs from international scientists either with track records in the approach or with expertise relevant to progressing the science. Methods: Web of Science and Google Scholar were used to review published papers spanning the period 2013–2019, inclusive, to confirm publication trends in quantities of papers by study area country and the types of tracers used. The most recent (2018–2019, inclusive) papers were also benchmarked using a methodological decision-tree published in 2017. Scope: Areas requiring further research and international consensus on methodological detail are reviewed, and these comprise spatial variability in tracers and corresponding sampling implications for end-members, temporal variability in tracers and sampling implications for end-members and target sediment, tracer conservation and knowledge-based pre-selection, the physico-chemical basis for source discrimination and dissemination of fingerprinting results to stakeholders. Emerging themes are also discussed: novel tracers, concentration-dependence for biomarkers, combining sediment fingerprinting and age-dating, applications to sediment-bound pollutants, incorporation of supportive spatial information to augment discrimination and modelling, aeolian sediment source fingerprinting, integration with process-based models and development of open-access software tools for data processing. Conclusions: The popularity of sediment source fingerprinting continues on an upward trend globally, but with this growth comes issues surrounding lack of standardisation and procedural diversity. Nonetheless, the last 2 years have also evidenced growing uptake of critical requirements for robust applications and this review is intended to signpost investigators, both old and new, towards these benchmarks and remaining research challenges for, and emerging options for different applications of, the fingerprinting approach
Measurement of the Λb0, Ξb-, and Ωb- Baryon Masses
Bottom baryons decaying to a J/ψ meson and a hyperon are reconstructed using 1.0 fb-1 of data collected in 2011 with the LHCb detector. Significant Λb0→J/ψΛ, Ξb-→J/ψΞ- and Ωb-→J/ψΩ- signals are observed and the corresponding masses are measured to be M(Λb0)=5619.53±0.13(stat.)±0.45(syst.) MeV/c2, M(Ξb-)=5795.8±0.9(stat.)±0.4(syst.) MeV/c2, M(Ωb-)=6046.0±2.2(stat.)±0.5(syst.) MeV/c2, while the differences with respect to the Λb0 mass are M(Ξb-)-M(Λb0)=176.2±0.9(stat.)±0.1(syst.) MeV/c2, M(Ωb-)-M(Λb0)=426.4±2.2(stat.)±0.4(syst.) MeV/c2. These are the most precise mass measurements of the Λb0, Ξb- and Ωb- baryons to date. Averaging the above Λb0 mass measurement with that published by LHCb using 35 pb-1 of data collected in 2010 yields M(Λb0)=5619.44±0.13(stat.)±0.38(syst.) MeV/c2
Differential branching fraction and angular analysis of the decay → ϕμ + μ −
The determination of the differential branching fraction and the first angular analysis of the decay B0s → ϕμ + μ − are presented using data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1, collected by the LHCb experiment at s√=7 TeV. The differential branching fraction is determined in bins of q 2, the invariant dimuon mass squared. Integration over the full q 2 range yields a total branching fraction of B(B0s→ϕμ+μ−)=(7.07+0.64−0.59±0.71±0.71) × 10−7, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic, and the third originates from the branching fraction of the normalisation channel. An angular analysis is performed to determine the angular observables F L, S 3, A 6, and A 9. The observables are consistent with Standard Model expectations
First evidence for the two-body charmless baryonic decay B0→pp−
The results of a search for the rare two-body charmless baryonic decays B0→pp− and B0s→pp− are reported. The analysis uses a data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.9 fb−1, of pp collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. An excess of B0→pp− candidates with respect to background expectations is seen with a statistical significance of 3.3 standard deviations. This is the first evidence for a two-body charmless baryonic B 0 decay. No significant B0s→pp− signal is observed, leading to an improvement of three orders of magnitude over previous bounds. If the excess events are interpreted as signal, the 68.3% confidence level intervals on the branching fractions are B(B0→pp−)=1.47+0.62+0.35−0.51−0.14×10−8,\hfillB(Bs→pp−)=2.84+2.03+0.85−1.68−0.18×10−8,\hfill where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic
- …