Bioactivities of extracts from the marine sponge Halichondria panicea

In the present study, we screened the biological activity of extracts from the marine sponge Halichondria panicea collected in the Arabian Sea. Crude toxin was obtained by methanol, chloroform-methanol (2:1) and aqueous extraction. Subsequently, the protein concentration of each crude extract was determined. The impact of both sponge methanolic and aqueous extracts was found to increase activities of Na+-K+ ATP-ase and Mg++ ATP-ase. In the case of chloroform-methanol extract, higher concentrations increased acetylcholine esterase (AchE) activity. The methanolic and chloroform-methanol extracts exhibited hemolytic activity on chicken and human erythrocytes, whereas the aqueous extract failed to do so. Methanol and aqueous extracts produced an immunostimulating effect and all extracts revealed angiogenic activity. The aqueous extract yielded nine bands by SDS-PAGE on 12% gel

Effect of dietary chitosan on haematology, innate immunity and disease resistance of Asian seabass Lates calcarifer (Bloch).

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of dietary chitosan on haematology, innate immunity and protection against Vibrio anguillarum in Asian seabass, Lates calcarifer. A basal diet supplemented with 0, 5, 10 and 20 g chitosan kg−1 diet was fed to the four different groups for 60 days. The haematological (total erythrocyte count, total leucocyte count, total serum protein, albumin, globulin and albumin‐globulin ratio) and innate immune parameters (phagocytic ratio, respiratory burst, serum lysozyme and serum bactericidal activities) were monitored at fortnight interval to assess the effect of chitosan feeding in Asian seabass. All the studied haematological and innate immune parameters were increased significantly (P ≤ 0.05) in chitosan‐fed groups in comparison with control. However, the group fed diet containing 10 g chitosan Kg−1 feed showed highest haematological and innate immune parameters on 45th day in comparison with other groups. Moreover, the fish fed the diet containing 10 g chitosan Kg−1 feed had significantly higher post‐challenge survival (75.56 ± 4.44%) on the 30th day following V. anguillarum challenge. Therefore, this study suggests that chitosan at 10 g kg−1 diet could be used as prophylactic in Asian seabass culture to enhance the protection against any possible infection by V. anguillarum

Growth and Hemato-Immunological Response to Dietary i-Carrageenan in Labeo rohita (Hamilton, 1822) Juveniles

The study was performed over a period of 60 days to evaluate the effect of dietary carrageenan on growth, hematology, biochemistry, and innate immunity in rohu Labeo rohita. A basal diet supplemented with iota (i)Carrageenan at 5, 10 and 20g/kg was fed to three different groups of fish for 60 days. The fish were examined 15, 30, 45, and 60 days after commencement of the study. Parameters for growth (absolute growth, specific growth rate, and percentage weight gain), hematology (total erythrocyte count, total leucocyte count, thrombocyte count and hemoglobin value), biochemistry (total serum protein, albumin, globulin and albuminglobulin ratio), and innate immunity (nitroblue tetrazolium NBT, and myeloperoxidase MPO, activity) were monitored to assess the effect of the iCarrageenan based diet in L. rohita. All the parameters examined (growth, hematology, biochemistry, and innate immunity) increased significantly (P<0.05) in carrageenan-fed groups compared to the control group. However, the highest values for those parameters were found on the 60th day in the group which was fed a 10 g/kg i-Carrageenan diet. The study suggests that a 10 g/kg diet of i-carrageenan enhances immunity and the overall health status in L. rohita

Measurement of χ c1 and χ c2 production with s√ = 7 TeV pp collisions at ATLAS

The prompt and non-prompt production cross-sections for the χ c1 and χ c2 charmonium states are measured in pp collisions at s√ = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC using 4.5 fb−1 of integrated luminosity. The χ c states are reconstructed through the radiative decay χ c → J/ψγ (with J/ψ → μ + μ −) where photons are reconstructed from γ → e + e − conversions. The production rate of the χ c2 state relative to the χ c1 state is measured for prompt and non-prompt χ c as a function of J/ψ transverse momentum. The prompt χ c cross-sections are combined with existing measurements of prompt J/ψ production to derive the fraction of prompt J/ψ produced in feed-down from χ c decays. The fractions of χ c1 and χ c2 produced in b-hadron decays are also measured

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections for Higgs boson production in the diphoton decay channel at s√=8 TeV with ATLAS

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections are presented for Higgs boson production in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s√=8 TeV. The analysis is performed in the H → γγ decay channel using 20.3 fb−1 of data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The signal is extracted using a fit to the diphoton invariant mass spectrum assuming that the width of the resonance is much smaller than the experimental resolution. The signal yields are corrected for the effects of detector inefficiency and resolution. The pp → H → γγ fiducial cross section is measured to be 43.2 ±9.4(stat.) − 2.9 + 3.2 (syst.) ±1.2(lumi)fb for a Higgs boson of mass 125.4GeV decaying to two isolated photons that have transverse momentum greater than 35% and 25% of the diphoton invariant mass and each with absolute pseudorapidity less than 2.37. Four additional fiducial cross sections and two cross-section limits are presented in phase space regions that test the theoretical modelling of different Higgs boson production mechanisms, or are sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model. Differential cross sections are also presented, as a function of variables related to the diphoton kinematics and the jet activity produced in the Higgs boson events. The observed spectra are statistically limited but broadly in line with the theoretical expectations

Measurement of the production of a W boson in association with a charm quark in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The production of a W boson in association with a single charm quark is studied using 4.6 fb−1 of pp collision data at s√ = 7 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. In events in which a W boson decays to an electron or muon, the charm quark is tagged either by its semileptonic decay to a muon or by the presence of a charmed meson. The integrated and differential cross sections as a function of the pseudorapidity of the lepton from the W-boson decay are measured. Results are compared to the predictions of next-to-leading-order QCD calculations obtained from various parton distribution function parameterisations. The ratio of the strange-to-down sea-quark distributions is determined to be 0.96+0.26−0.30 at Q 2 = 1.9 GeV2, which supports the hypothesis of an SU(3)-symmetric composition of the light-quark sea. Additionally, the cross-section ratio σ(W + +c¯¯)/σ(W − + c) is compared to the predictions obtained using parton distribution function parameterisations with different assumptions about the s−s¯¯¯ quark asymmetry

Search for squarks and gluinos in events with isolated leptons, jets and missing transverse momentum at s√=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The results of a search for supersymmetry in final states containing at least one isolated lepton (electron or muon), jets and large missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. The search is based on proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy s√=8 TeV collected in 2012, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20 fb−1. No significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed. Limits are set on supersymmetric particle masses for various supersymmetric models. Depending on the model, the search excludes gluino masses up to 1.32 TeV and squark masses up to 840 GeV. Limits are also set on the parameters of a minimal universal extra dimension model, excluding a compactification radius of 1/R c = 950 GeV for a cut-off scale times radius (ΛR c) of approximately 30

Search for squarks and gluinos with the ATLAS detector in final states with jets and missing transverse momentum using √s=8 TeV proton-proton collision data

A search for squarks and gluinos in final states containing high-p T jets, missing transverse momentum and no electrons or muons is presented. The data were recorded in 2012 by the ATLAS experiment in s√=8 TeV proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider, with a total integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb−1. Results are interpreted in a variety of simplified and specific supersymmetry-breaking models assuming that R-parity is conserved and that the lightest neutralino is the lightest supersymmetric particle. An exclusion limit at the 95% confidence level on the mass of the gluino is set at 1330 GeV for a simplified model incorporating only a gluino and the lightest neutralino. For a simplified model involving the strong production of first- and second-generation squarks, squark masses below 850 GeV (440 GeV) are excluded for a massless lightest neutralino, assuming mass degenerate (single light-flavour) squarks. In mSUGRA/CMSSM models with tan β = 30, A 0 = −2m 0 and μ > 0, squarks and gluinos of equal mass are excluded for masses below 1700 GeV. Additional limits are set for non-universal Higgs mass models with gaugino mediation and for simplified models involving the pair production of gluinos, each decaying to a top squark and a top quark, with the top squark decaying to a charm quark and a neutralino. These limits extend the region of supersymmetric parameter space excluded by previous searches with the ATLAS detector

Evidence for the Higgs-boson Yukawa coupling to tau leptons with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for H → τ τ decays are presented, based on the full set of proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC during 2011 and 2012. The data correspond to integrated luminosities of 4.5 fb−1 and 20.3 fb−1 at centre-of-mass energies of √s = 7 TeV and √s = 8 TeV respectively. All combinations of leptonic (τ → `νν¯ with ` = e, µ) and hadronic (τ → hadrons ν) tau decays are considered. An excess of events over the expected background from other Standard Model processes is found with an observed (expected) significance of 4.5 (3.4) standard deviations. This excess provides evidence for the direct coupling of the recently discovered Higgs boson to fermions. The measured signal strength, normalised to the Standard Model expectation, of µ = 1.43 +0.43 −0.37 is consistent with the predicted Yukawa coupling strength in the Standard Model

Search for dark matter in events with heavy quarks and missing transverse momentum in pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

This article reports on a search for dark matterpair production in association with bottom or top quarks in20.3fb−1ofppcollisions collected at√s=8TeVbytheATLAS detector at the LHC. Events with large missing trans-verse momentum are selected when produced in associationwith high-momentum jets of which one or more are identifiedas jets containingb-quarks. Final states with top quarks areselected by requiring a high jet multiplicity and in some casesa single lepton. The data are found to be consistent with theStandard Model expectations and limits are set on the massscale of effective field theories that describe scalar and tensorinteractions between dark matter and Standard Model par-ticles. Limits on the dark-matter–nucleon cross-section forspin-independent and spin-dependent interactions are alsoprovided. These limits are particularly strong for low-massdark matter. Using a simplified model, constraints are set onthe mass of dark matter and of a coloured mediator suitableto explain a possible signal of annihilating dark matter