The λΛ\lambda\Lambda interaction and the reaction Ξ−+d→n+Λ+Λ\Xi^- + d \to n + \Lambda + \Lambda

The $\Lambda\Lambda$ interaction resulting from the SU(3) rotation of the S-wave component of the Nijmegen OBE potential $D$ is used to calculate the binding energy of $^{ 6}_{\Lambda\Lambda}$He as a $\Lambda\Lambda\alpha$ three-body system, and the neutron differential energy spectrum for the reaction $\Xi^- + d \to n + \Lambda + \Lambda$.Comment: 5 pages and 9 eps file

Furthering the understanding of silicate-substitution in α-tricalcium phosphate : an X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance study

High-purity (SupT) and reagent-grade (ST), stoichiometric and silicate-containing α-tricalcium phosphate (α-TCP: ST0/SupT0 and Si-TCP x = 0.10: ST10/SupT10) were prepared by solid-state reaction based on the substitution mechanism Ca3(PO4)(2-x)(SiO4)x. Samples were determined to be phase pure by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Rietveld analysis performed on the XRD data confirmed inclusion of Si in the α-TCP structure as determined by increases in unit cell parameters; particularly marked increases in the b-axis and β-angle were observed. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) confirmed the presence of expected levels of Si in Si-TCP compositions as well as significant levels of impurities (Mg, Al and Fe) present in all ST samples; SupT samples showed both expected levels of Si and a high degree of purity. Phosphorus (31P) magic-angle-spinning solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) measurements revealed that the high-purity reagents used in the synthesis of SupT0 can resolve the 12 expected peaks in the 31P spectrum of α-TCP compared to the low-purity ST0 that showed significant spectral line broadening; line broadening was also observed with the inclusion of Si which is indicative of induced structural disorder. Silicon (29Si) MAS NMR was also performed on both Si-TCP samples which revealed Q0 species of Si with additional Si Q1/Q2 species that may indicate a potential charge-balancing mechanism involving the inclusion of disilicate groups; additional Q4 Si species were also observed, but only for ST10. Heating and cooling rates were briefly investigated by 31P MAS NMR which showed no significant line broadening other than that associated with the emergence of β-TCP which was only realised with the reagent-grade sample ST0. This study provides an insight into the structural effects of Si-substitution in α-TCP and could provide a basis for understanding how substitution affects the physicochemical properties of the material

Environmental Regulation Can Arise Under Minimal Assumptions

Models that demonstrate environmental regulation as a consequence of organism and environment coupling all require a number of core assumptions. Many previous models, such as Daisyworld, require that certain environment-altering traits have a selective advantage when those traits also contribute towards global regulation. We present a model that results in the regulation of a global environmental resource through niche construction without employing this and other common assumptions. There is no predetermined environmental optimum towards which regulation should proceed assumed or coded into the model. Nevertheless, polymorphic stable states that resist perturbation emerge from the simulated co-evolution of organisms and environment. In any single simulation a series of different stable states are realised, punctuated by rapid transitions. Regulation is achieved through two main subpopulations that are adapted to slightly different resource values, which force the environmental resource in opposing directions. This maintains the resource within a comparatively narrow band over a wide range of external perturbations. Population driven oscillations in the resource appear to be instrumental in protecting the regulation against mutations that would otherwise destroy it. Sensitivity analysis shows that the regulation is robust to mutation and to a wide range of parameter settings. Given the minimal assumptions employed, the results could reveal a mechanism capable of environmental regulation through the by-products of organisms

The Ξ−+d→n+Λ+Λ\Xi^- +d\to n+\Lambda+\Lambda reaction as a probe of the ΛΛ\Lambda\Lambda interaction

Within the framework of the Faddeev equations we demonstrate that a $\Lambda\Lambda-\Xi N$ interaction that gives a $\Lambda\Lambda$ scattering length comparable to the $nn$ scattering length, and the binding energy of $^{\ 6}_{\Lambda\Lambda}$He as an$\alpha\Lambda\Lambda-\alpha\Xi N$system, produces a final state interaction peak in the neutron spectrum for the reaction$\Xi^- d \to n\Lambda\Lambda$. This suggests that this reaction could be used to constrain the$\Lambda\Lambda$ scattering length.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, Invited talk given at the International Conference on Hypernuclear and Strange Particle Physics (HYP97) October 13-18, 1997, Brookhave National Laboratory, U.S.A.. to be published in Nuclear Physics

Triton photodisintegration in three-dimensional approach

Two- and three- particles photodisintegration of the triton is investigated in a three-dimensional (3D) Faddeev approach. For this purpose the Jacobi momentum vectors for three particles system and spin-isospin quantum numbers of the individual nucleons are considered. Based on this picture the three-nucleon Faddeev integral equations with the two-nucleon interaction are formulated without employing the partial wave decomposition. The single nucleon current as well as $\pi-$ and $\rho-$ like exchange currents are used in an appropriate form to be employed in 3D approach. The exchange currents are derived from AV18 NN force. The two-body t-matrix, Deuteron and Triton wave functions are calculated in the 3D approach by using AV18 potential. Benchmarks are presented to compare the total cross section for the two- and three- particles photodisintegration in the range of $E_{\gamma}<30 MeV$. The 3D Faddeev approach shows promising results

Production and Characterisation of Bacterial Cellulose Hydrogels Loaded with Curcumin Encapsulated in Cyclodextrins as Wound Dressings

Natural bioactive materials with wound healing properties such as curcumin are attracting interest due to the emergence of resistant bacterial strains. The hydrophobicity of curcumin has been counteracted by using solubility enhancing cyclodextrins. Hydrogels facilitate wound healing due to unique properties and 3D network structures which allows encapsulation of healing agents. In this study, biosynthetic cellulose produced by Gluconacetobacter xylinus (ATCC 23770) was loaded with water soluble curcumin:hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin supramolecular inclusion complex produced by a solvent evaporation method to synthesise hydrogel dressings. The ratios of solvents to solubilise curcumin and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin were tested for the production of the inclusion complex with optimum encapsulation efficacy. The results confirmed that hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin enhanced the aqueous solubility of curcumin and allowed loading into bacterial cellulose hydrogels. These hydrogels were characterised for wound management applications and exhibited haemocompatability, cytocompatability, anti-staphylococcal and antioxidant abilities and therefore support the potential use of the curcumin:hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin-loaded-bacterial cellulose as hydrogel dressings

Measurement of the Bs0→J/ψKS0B_s^0\to J/\psi K_S^0 branching fraction

The $B_s^0\to J/\psi K_S^0$ branching fraction is measured in a data sample corresponding to 0.41$fb^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity collected with the LHCb detector at the LHC. This channel is sensitive to the penguin contributions affecting the sin2$\beta$ measurement from $B^0\to J/\psi K_S^0$ The time-integrated branching fraction is measured to be $BF(B_s^0\to J/\psi K_S^0)=(1.83\pm0.28)\times10^{-5}$. This is the most precise measurement to date

Model-independent search for CP violation in D0→K−K+π−π+ and D0→π−π+π+π− decays

A search for CP violation in the phase-space structures of D0 and View the MathML source decays to the final states K−K+π−π+ and π−π+π+π− is presented. The search is carried out with a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1 collected in 2011 by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. For the K−K+π−π+ final state, the four-body phase space is divided into 32 bins, each bin with approximately 1800 decays. The p-value under the hypothesis of no CP violation is 9.1%, and in no bin is a CP asymmetry greater than 6.5% observed. The phase space of the π−π+π+π− final state is partitioned into 128 bins, each bin with approximately 2500 decays. The p-value under the hypothesis of no CP violation is 41%, and in no bin is a CP asymmetry greater than 5.5% observed. All results are consistent with the hypothesis of no CP violation at the current sensitivity

Measurement of the CP-violating phase \phi s in Bs->J/\psi\pi+\pi- decays

Measurement of the mixing-induced CP-violating phase phi_s in Bs decays is of prime importance in probing new physics. Here 7421 +/- 105 signal events from the dominantly CP-odd final state J/\psi pi+ pi- are selected in 1/fb of pp collision data collected at sqrt{s} = 7 TeV with the LHCb detector. A time-dependent fit to the data yields a value of phi_s=-0.019^{+0.173+0.004}_{-0.174-0.003} rad, consistent with the Standard Model expectation. No evidence of direct CP violation is found.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures; minor revisions on May 23, 201

Search for the lepton-flavor-violating decays Bs0→e±μ∓ and B0→e±μ∓

A search for the lepton-flavor-violating decays Bs0→e±μ∓ and B0→e±μ∓ is performed with a data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0  fb-1 of pp collisions at √s=7  TeV, collected by the LHCb experiment. The observed number of Bs0→e±μ∓ and B0→e±μ∓ candidates is consistent with background expectations. Upper limits on the branching fractions of both decays are determined to be B(Bs0→e±μ∓)101  TeV/c2 and MLQ(B0→e±μ∓)>126  TeV/c2 at 95% C.L., and are a factor of 2 higher than the previous bounds