222 research outputs found
Non-genetic inheritance, fertility and assisted reproductive technologies
The concept of non-genetic inheritance is gaining considerable attention in the assisted reproductive technology (ART) community due to the reported differences between children born from ART and those that are conceived naturally. It has been demonstrated that children conceived via ART have differences in fetal growth, birth weight, congenital abnormalities, cardiometabolic parameters, glucose homeostasis as well as changes to body composition compared to children conceived naturally. Although these changes may have a parental contribution and may be influenced by the pathology of infertility there is concern that the technologies themselves may play a role. In support of this, is emerging evidence that aspects of ART technology such as culture media formulation and insemination method can alter offspring phenotype. In addition it is also documented that exposure to environmental factors, such as toxins can impact on offspring gametogenesis such that these perturbations persist through generations. With the increasing use of ART and the development of new technologies it is vital that we understand whether ART can effect non-genetic inheritance so that we can optimise technology and prevent abnormal programming and its impact on all aspects of offspring health including fertility and a possible transmission to subsequent generations.Deirdre Zander-Fox, Nicole O McPherson, Michelle Lan
Search for charginos in e+e- interactions at sqrt(s) = 189 GeV
An update of the searches for charginos and gravitinos is presented, based on
a data sample corresponding to the 158 pb^{-1} recorded by the DELPHI detector
in 1998, at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV. No evidence for a signal was
found. The lower mass limits are 4-5 GeV/c^2 higher than those obtained at a
centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV. The (\mu,M_2) MSSM domain excluded by
combining the chargino searches with neutralino searches at the Z resonance
implies a limit on the mass of the lightest neutralino which, for a heavy
sneutrino, is constrained to be above 31.0 GeV/c^2 for tan(beta) \geq 1.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figure
Hadronization properties of b quarks compared to light quarks in e+e- -> q qbar from 183 to 200 GeV
The DELPHI detector at LEP has collected 54 pb^{-1} of data at a
centre-of-mass energy around 183 GeV during 1997, 158 pb^{-1} around 189 GeV
during 1998, and 187 pb^{-1} between 192 and 200 GeV during 1999. These data
were used to measure the average charged particle multiplicity in e+e- -> b
bbar events, _{bb}, and the difference delta_{bl} between _{bb} and the
multiplicity, _{ll}, in generic light quark (u,d,s) events: delta_{bl}(183
GeV) = 4.55 +/- 1.31 (stat) +/- 0.73 (syst) delta_{bl}(189 GeV) = 4.43 +/- 0.85
(stat) +/- 0.61 (syst) delta_{bl}(200 GeV) = 3.39 +/- 0.89 (stat) +/- 1.01
(syst). This result is consistent with QCD predictions, while it is
inconsistent with calculations assuming that the multiplicity accompanying the
decay of a heavy quark is independent of the mass of the quark itself.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure
Serotonin transporter (SERT) and translocator protein (TSPO) expression in the obese ob/ob mouse
Background: An ever growing body of evidences is emerging concerning metabolism hormones, neurotransmitters or stress-related biomarkers as effective modulators of eating behavior and body weight in mammals. The present study sought at examining the density and affinity of two proteins related to neurotransmission and cell metabolism, the serotonin transporter SERT and the cholesterol import-benzodiazepine site TSPO (translocator protein), in a rodent leptin-lacking mutant, the obese ob/ob mouse. Binding studies were thus carried out in brain or peripheral tissues, blood platelets (SERT) and kidneys (TSPO), of ob/ob and WT mice supplied with a standard diet, using the selective radiochemical ligands [(3)H]-paroxetine and [(3)H]-PK11195. Results: We observed comparable SERT number or affinity in brain and platelets of ob/ob and WT mice, whilst a significantly higher [(3)H]-PK11195 density was reported in the brain of ob/ob animals. TSPO binding parameters were similar in the kidneys of all tested mice. By [(3)H]-PK11195 autoradiography of coronal hypothalamic-hippocampal sections, an increased TSPO signal was detected in the dentate gyrus (hippocampus) and choroids plexus of ob/ob mice, without appreciable changes in the cortex or hypothalamic-thalamic regions. Conclusions: These findings show that TSPO expression is up-regulated in cerebral regions of ob/ob leptin-deficient mice, suggesting a role of the translocator protein in leptin-dependent CNS trophism and metabolism. Unchanged SERT in mutant mice is discussed herein in the context of previous literature as the forerunner to a deeper biochemical investigation
Measurement of Trilinear Gauge Couplings in Collisions at 161 GeV and 172 GeV
Trilinear gauge boson couplings are measured using data taken by DELPHI at 161~GeV and 172~GeV. Values for couplings () are determined from a study of the reactions \eeWW\ and \eeWev, using differential distributions from the final state in which one decays hadronically and the other leptonically, and total cross-section data from other channels. Limits are also derived on neutral couplings from an analysis of the reaction \eegi
Study of B0_s anti-B0_s oscillations and B0_s lifetimes using hadronic decays of B0_s mesons
Oscillations of B0s mesons have been studied in samples selected from about
3.5 million hadronic Z decays detected by DELPHI between 1992 and 1995. One
analysis uses events in the exclusive decay channels: B0s -> Ds- pi+ or Ds- a1+
and B0s -> anti-D0 K- pi+ or anti-D0 K- a1+, where the D decays are completely
reconstructed. In addition, B0s anti-B0s oscillations have been studied in
events with an exclusively reconstructed Ds accompanied in the same hemisphere
by a high momentum hadron of opposite charge. Combining the two analyses, a
limit on the mass difference between the physical B0s states has been obtained:
Delta(m_B0s) > 4.0 ps^{-1} at the 95% C.L. with a sensitivity of Delta(m_B0s)
= 3.2 ps^{-1}. Using the latter sample of events, the B0s lifetime has been
measured and an upper limit on the decay width difference between the two
physical B0s states has been obtained:
tau(B0s) = 1.53^{+0.16}_{-0.15}(stat.) +/- {0.07}(syst.) ps
\Delta\Gamma(B0s)/\Gamma(B0s) < 0.69 at the 95% C.L.
The combination of these results with those obtained using Ds+- lepton-+
sample gives:
Delta(m_B0s) > 4.9 ps^{-1} at the 95% C.L.
with a sensitivity of Delta(m_B0s) = 8.7 ps^{-1}.
tau(B0s) = 1.46 +/- 0.11 ps and \Delta\Gamma(B0s)/\Gamma(B0s) < 0.45 at the
95% C.L.Comment: 42 pages, 13 figure
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Combination of the W boson polarization measurements in top quark decays using ATLAS and CMS data at s = 8 TeV
Abstract: The combination of measurements of the W boson polarization in top quark decays performed by the ATLAS and CMS collaborations is presented. The measurements are based on proton-proton collision data produced at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV, and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 20 fb−1 for each experiment. The measurements used events containing one lepton and having different jet multiplicities in the final state. The results are quoted as fractions of W bosons with longitudinal (F0), left-handed (FL), or right-handed (FR) polarizations. The resulting combined measurements of the polarization fractions are F0 = 0.693 ± 0.014 and FL = 0.315 ± 0.011. The fraction FR is calculated from the unitarity constraint to be FR = −0.008 ± 0.007. These results are in agreement with the standard model predictions at next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics and represent an improvement in precision of 25 (29)% for F0 (FL) with respect to the most precise single measurement. A limit on anomalous right-handed vector (VR), and left- and right-handed tensor (gL, gR) tWb couplings is set while fixing all others to their standard model values. The allowed regions are [−0.11, 0.16] for VR, [−0.08, 0.05] for gL, and [−0.04, 0.02] for gR, at 95% confidence level. Limits on the corresponding Wilson coefficients are also derived
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