The experience of sexual desire : an empirial-phenomenological investigation

Previous efforts to investigate sexual desire have been hampered by inadequate concern for the phenomena\u27s largely personal nature. In this qualitative study sixteen participants were interviewed who provided detailed descriptions of their experiences of sexual desire. Protocols were prepared and analyzed, individually by the primary researcher and in a group setting by The University of Tennessee Phenomenology Interpretive Group. A thematic structure with one global theme, several lesser themes, and some notable departures from exiting notions of sexual desire emerged. Virtually all participants found it necessary to describe two kinds of experiences: lust and love, and they showed a strong tendency to associate sexual desire with love. They often acknowledged, for example, that although they might experience lust in regard to a physically attractive person, they did not desire them. Other themes included the role of the body in sexual desire, changes in awareness, and changes in the experience over time, which most participants referred to as maturity. Few gender differences were noted; male and female participants produced quite similar descriptions of sexual desire

Figures of merit and constraints from testing General Relativity using the latest cosmological data sets including refined COSMOS 3D weak lensing

We use cosmological constraints from current data sets and a figure of merit (FoM) approach to probe any deviations from general relativity (GR) at cosmological scales. The FoM approach is used to study the constraining power of various combinations of data sets on modified gravity (MG) parameters. We use recently refined HST-COSMOS weak-lensing tomography data, ISW-galaxy cross correlations from 2MASS and SDSS LRG surveys, matter power spectrum from SDSS-DR7 (MPK), WMAP7 temperature and polarization spectra, BAO from 2DF and SDSS-DR7, and Union2 compilation of supernovae, in addition to other bounds from H_0 measurements and BBN. We use 3 parametrizations of MG parameters that enter the perturbed field equations. In order to allow for variations with redshift and scale, the first 2 parametrizations use recently suggested functional forms while the third is based on binning methods. Using the first parametrization, we find that CMB + ISW + WL provides the strongest constraints on MG parameters followed by CMB+WL or CMB+MPK+ISW. Using the second parametrization or binning methods, CMB+MPK+ISW consistently provides some of the strongest constraints. This shows that the constraints are parametrization dependent. We find that adding up current data sets does not improve consistently uncertainties on MG parameters due to tensions between best-fit MG parameters preferred by different data sets. Furthermore, some functional forms imposed by the parametrizations can lead to an exacerbation of these tensions. Next, unlike some studies that used the CFHTLS lensing data, we do not find any deviation from GR using the refined HST-COSMOS data, confirming previous claims in those studies that their result may have been due to some systematic effect. Finally, we find in all cases that the values corresponding to GR are within the 95% confidence level contours for all data set combinations. (abridged)Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, matches version published in PR

First observation of Bs0 → D*s2+Xμ-ν decays

Using data collected with the LHCb detector in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, the semileptonic decays B0s→D+sXμ−ν and B0s→D0K+Xμ−ν are detected. Two structures are observed in the D0K+ mass spectrum at masses consistent with the known Ds1(2536)+ and D∗s22573)+ mesons. The measured branching fractions relative to the total B0s semileptonic rate are B(B0s→D∗+s2Xμ−ν)/B(B0s→Xμ−ν) = (3.3±1.0±0.4)%, and B(B0s→D+s1Xμ−ν)/B(B0s→Xμ−ν) = (5.4±1.2±0.5)%, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. This is the first observation of the D∗+s2 state in B0s decays; we also measure its mass and width

Measurement of the Bs0-Bs0 oscillation frequency δms in Bs0→Ds-(3)π decays

The Bs0-Bs0 oscillation frequency δms is measured with 36 pb-1 of data collected in pp collisions at s=7TeV by the LHCb experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. A total of 1381 Bs0→Ds-π+ and Bs0→Ds-π+π-π + signal decays are reconstructed, with average decay time resolutions of 44 fs and 36 fs, respectively. An oscillation signal with a statistical significance of 4.6σ is observed. The measured oscillation frequency is δm s=17.63±0.11(stat)±0.02(syst)ps -1

Absolute luminosity measurements with the LHCb detector at the LHC

Absolute luminosity measurements are of general interest for colliding-beam experiments at storage rings. These measurements are necessary to determine the absolute cross-sections of reaction processes and are valuable to quantify the performance of the accelerator. Using data taken in 2010, LHCb has applied two methods to determine the absolute scale of its luminosity measurements for proton-proton collisions at the LHC with a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. In addition to the classic ''van der Meer scan'' method a novel technique has been developed which makes use of direct imaging of the individual beams using beam-gas and beam-beam interactions. This beam imaging method is made possible by the high resolution of the LHCb vertex detector and the close proximity of the detector to the beams, and allows beam parameters such as positions, angles and widths to be determined. The results of the two methods have comparable precision and are in good agreement. Combining the two methods, an overal precision of 3.5% in the absolute luminosity determination is reached. The techniques used to transport the absolute luminosity calibration to the full 2010 data-taking period are presented

Search for the rare decays B0s→μ+μ− and B0→μ+μ−

A search for the decays and B0→μ+μ− is performed with 0.37 fb−1 of pp collisions at collected by the LHCb experiment in 2011. The upper limits on the branching fractions are and B(B0→μ+μ−)<3.6×10−9 at 95% confidence level. A combination of these results with the LHCb limits obtained with the 2010 dataset leads to and B(B0→μ+μ−)<3.2×10−9 at 95% confidence level

First evidence of direct CP violation in charmless two-body decays of Bs0 mesons

Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.35  fb-1 collected by LHCb in 2011, we report the first evidence of CP violation in the decays of Bs0 mesons to K±π∓ pairs, ACP(Bs0→Kπ)= 0.27±0.08(stat)±0.02(syst), with a significance of 3.3σ. Furthermore, we report the most precise measurement of CP violation in the decays of B0 mesons to K±π∓ pairs, ACP(B0→Kπ)=-0.088±0.011(stat)±0.008(syst), with a significance exceeding 6σ

Observation of the suppressed ADS modes B± → [π±K-/+ π+π-]D K± and B± → [π± K-/+π+π-]Dπ±

An analysis of and B± → DK± and B± → Dπ± decays is presented where the D meson is reconstructed in the four-body final state K± π-/+π+π-. Using LHCb data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb-1, first observations are made of the suppressed ADS modes B± →[π± K-/+π+π-]DK± and B± → [π± K-/+π+π-]Dπ± with a significance of 5.1 sigma and greater than 10 sigma, respectively. Measurements of CP asymmetries and CP-conserving ratios of partial widths from this family of decays are also performed. The magnitude of the ratio between the suppressed and favoured B± → DK ± amplitudes is determined to be rKB = 0.097 ± 0.011

Measurement of b-hadron branching fractions for two-body decays into charmless charged hadrons

Based on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.37 fb−1 collected by the LHCb experiment in 2011, the following ratios of branching fractions are measured: B(B0→π+π−)/B(B0→K+π−)=0.262±0.009±0.017,(fs/fd)⋅B(B0s→K+K−)/B(B0→K+π−)=0.316±0.009±0.019,(fs/fd)⋅B(B0s→π+K−)/B(B0→K+π−)=0.074±0.006±0.006,(fd/fs)⋅B(B0→K+K−)/B(B0s→K+K−)=0.018+0.008−0.007±0.009,(fs/fd)⋅B(B0s→π+π−)/B(B0→π+π−)=0.050+0.011−0.009±0.004,B(Λ0b→pπ−)/B(Λ0b→pK−)=0.86±0.08±0.05, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. Using the current world average of B(B0→K+π−) and the ratio of the strange to light neutral B meson production f s /f d measured by LHCb, we obtain: B(B0→π+π−)=(5.08±0.17±0.37)×10−6,B(B0s→K+K−)=(23.0±0.7±2.3)×10−6,B(B0s→π+K−)=(5.4±0.4±0.6)×10−6,B(B0→K+K−)=(0.11+0.05−0.04±0.06)×10−6,B(B0s→π+π−)=(0.95+0.21−0.17±0.13)×10−6. The measurements of B(B0s→K+K−) , B(B0s→π+K−) and B(B0→K+K−) are the most precise to date. The decay mode B0s→π+π− is observed for the first time with a significance of more than 5σ