Influence of freezing temperatures prior to freeze‐drying on viability of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria isolated from wine

Aims: To determine the effect of three different freezing temperatures on post-freeze-drying survival rates of wine yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB). To know if a similar freeze-drying protocol can be used for both micro- organisms. Methods and Results: Cells from liquid culture media were recovered and concentrated in appropriate lyoprotectants. Aliquots of each strain were frozen at 20, 80 and 196°C before vacuum drying. Viable cell counts were done before freezing and after freeze-drying. Survival rates were calculated. Freezing temperatures differently affected yeast and bacteria survival. The highest survival rates were obtained at 20 and 80°C for yeasts, but at 196° C for LAB. Major differences in survival rates were recorded among freeze-dried yeasts, but were less drastic for LAB. Yeasts Pichia membranifaciens, Starmerella bacillaris and Metschnikowia pulcherrima, and LAB Lactobacillus paracasei, Pediococcus parvulus and Lactobacillus mali, were the most tolerant species to freeze-drying, regardless of freezing temperature. Conclusions: Yeast and LAB survival rates differed for each tested freezing temperature. For yeasts, 20°C ensured the highest post-freeze-drying viability and 196°C for LAB. Significance and Impact of the Study: Freezing temperature to freeze-dry cells is a crucial factor for ensuring good wine yeast and LAB survival. These results are important for appropriately preserving micro-organisms and for improving starter production processes

Analysis of local extinction of a n-heptane spray flame using large-eddy simulation with tabulated chemistry

This work is focused on the study of flame stabilization and local extinction of a spray flame in an atmospheric non-swirled test rig referred to as the CORIA Rouen Spray Burner. This burner shows a double reaction front structure, with an outer laminar diffusion flame and an inner wrinkled partially-premixed flame undertaking local extinction. This unsteady phenomenon is investigated here using large-eddy simulations with a tabulated chemistry method based on steady and unsteady diffusion flamelets with heat loss. A validation of the numerical simulations is conducted first for the carrier and dispersed phase and good agreement with the experimental data is found for mean and fluctuating quantities. The present results were able to predict relevant parameters of the flame like the lift-off length and flame shape. Numerical results evidence some intermittency on the OH concentration with the presence of high values of formaldehyde indicating the existence of localized extinction in the leading edge of the flame. A detailed analysis showed the impact of droplets on the reacting layer and the existence of rich pockets quenching the flame front. Further downstream, it was shown that when the scalar dissipation rate reaches high values near the reaction zone, the flame front becomes thinner and wrinkled until it eventually quenches. The numerical results evidence that the applied tabulated chemistry method is capable of capturing the local extinction and re-ignition events occurring in the inner layer.This work was partially funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Econom´ıa y Competitividad within the frame of the CHEST (TRA2017-89139-C2-1-R) project. BSC also acknowledges the funding from the CoEC project through the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 952181. Authors acknowledge the computer resources at Marenostrum and the technical support provided by Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) (IM-2019-3-0025, IM-2020-1-0017, IM-2020-2-0026). Authors also thank the access to the CRSB database kindly provided by Prof. B. Renou.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

A Blind Circadian Clock in Cavefish Reveals that Opsins Mediate Peripheral Clock Photoreception

Evolution during millions of years in perpetual darkness leads to mutations in non-visual opsin genes (Melanopsin and TMT opsin) and an aberrant, blind circadian clock in cavefish

Guaitacargols : l'estudi de la biodiversitat de cargols terrestres a secundària

Guaitacargols és un projecte adreçat a centres d'educació secundària que proposa fer un estudi de la biodiversitat de cargols terrestres en espais propers als centres. La iniciativa és impulsada pel Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona (MCNB), afavoreix el treball en xarxa amb el personal docent participant i compta amb l'acompanyament expert de l'Associació Catalana de Malacologia (ACM). El projecte apropa l'alumnat a la metodologia científica a través d'un estudi de camp real i inclou la filosofia de la ciència ciutadana, tot posant en valor la participació democratitzada de la ciutadania en la construcció del coneixement científic. Arran de la formació i les eines aportades pel MCNB i l'ACM, els equips docents de l'Institut ca n'Oriac (Sabadell) i de I'Institut Moianès (Moià) han dissenyat seqüències educatives que desenvolupen competències i continguts científics a partir del context dels cargols terrestres. Les dades obtingudes amb el treball de camp i la seva posterior identificació han estat validades científicament.Guaitacargols is a project aimed at secondary education centers that proposes a study of the biodiversity of land snails in spaces close to the centers. This initiative is promoted by the Natural Sciences Museum of Barcelona (MCNB) and promotes networking with the participating teaching staff. It also has the expert support of the Catalan Association of Malacology (ACM). The project brings students closer to scientific methodology through a real field study that includes the philosophy of citizen science and promotes participation of citizens in the construction of scientific knowledge. As a result of the training and tools provided by the MCNB and the ACM, the teaching teams of the Institut ca n'Oriac (Sabadell) and the Institut Moianès (Moià) have designed educational sequences that develop skills and scientific content from the context of land snails. The data obtained with the fieldwork and its subsequent identification have been scientifically validated.Guaitacargols es un proyecto dirigido a centros de educación secundaria que propone realizar un estudio de la biodiversidad de caracoles terrestres en espacios cercanos a los centros. La iniciativa está impulsada por el Museo de Ciencias Naturales de Barcelona (MCNB), favorece el trabajo en red con el personal docente participante y cuenta con el acompañamiento experto de la Asociación Catalana de Malacología (ACM). El proyecto acerca al alumnado a la metodología científica a través de un estudio de campo real e incluye la filosofía de la ciencia ciudadana, poniendo en valor la participación democratizada de la ciudadanía en la construcción del conocimiento científico. A raíz de la formación y las herramientas aportadas por el MCNB y la ACM, los equipos docentes del Institut ca n'Oriac (Sabadell) y del Institut Moianès (Moià) han diseñado secuencias educativas que desarrollan competencias y contenidos científicos a partir del contexto de los caracoles terrestres. Los datos obtenidos con el trabajo de campo y su posterior identificación han sido validados científicamente

Measurement of the t t-bar production cross section in the dilepton channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

The t t-bar production cross section (sigma[t t-bar]) is measured in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV in data collected by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 inverse femtobarns. The measurement is performed in events with two leptons (electrons or muons) in the final state, at least two jets identified as jets originating from b quarks, and the presence of an imbalance in transverse momentum. The measured value of sigma[t t-bar] for a top-quark mass of 172.5 GeV is 161.9 +/- 2.5 (stat.) +5.1/-5.0 (syst.) +/- 3.6(lumi.) pb, consistent with the prediction of the standard model.Comment: Replaced with published version. Included journal reference and DO

Combined search for the quarks of a sequential fourth generation

Results are presented from a search for a fourth generation of quarks produced singly or in pairs in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 inverse femtobarns recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2011. A novel strategy has been developed for a combined search for quarks of the up and down type in decay channels with at least one isolated muon or electron. Limits on the mass of the fourth-generation quarks and the relevant Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix elements are derived in the context of a simple extension of the standard model with a sequential fourth generation of fermions. The existence of mass-degenerate fourth-generation quarks with masses below 685 GeV is excluded at 95% confidence level for minimal off-diagonal mixing between the third- and the fourth-generation quarks. With a mass difference of 25 GeV between the quark masses, the obtained limit on the masses of the fourth-generation quarks shifts by about +/- 20 GeV. These results significantly reduce the allowed parameter space for a fourth generation of fermions.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Search for new physics with same-sign isolated dilepton events with jets and missing transverse energy

A search for new physics is performed in events with two same-sign isolated leptons, hadronic jets, and missing transverse energy in the final state. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.98 inverse femtobarns produced in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. This constitutes a factor of 140 increase in integrated luminosity over previously published results. The observed yields agree with the standard model predictions and thus no evidence for new physics is found. The observations are used to set upper limits on possible new physics contributions and to constrain supersymmetric models. To facilitate the interpretation of the data in a broader range of new physics scenarios, information on the event selection, detector response, and efficiencies is provided.Comment: Published in Physical Review Letter

Search for a W' boson decaying to a bottom quark and a top quark in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

Results are presented from a search for a W' boson using a dataset corresponding to 5.0 inverse femtobarns of integrated luminosity collected during 2011 by the CMS experiment at the LHC in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV. The W' boson is modeled as a heavy W boson, but different scenarios for the couplings to fermions are considered, involving both left-handed and right-handed chiral projections of the fermions, as well as an arbitrary mixture of the two. The search is performed in the decay channel W' to t b, leading to a final state signature with a single lepton (e, mu), missing transverse energy, and jets, at least one of which is tagged as a b-jet. A W' boson that couples to fermions with the same coupling constant as the W, but to the right-handed rather than left-handed chiral projections, is excluded for masses below 1.85 TeV at the 95% confidence level. For the first time using LHC data, constraints on the W' gauge coupling for a set of left- and right-handed coupling combinations have been placed. These results represent a significant improvement over previously published limits.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters B. Replaced with version publishe

Search for supersymmetry in events with b-quark jets and missing transverse energy in pp collisions at 7 TeV

Results are presented from a search for physics beyond the standard model based on events with large missing transverse energy, at least three jets, and at least one, two, or three b-quark jets. The study is performed using a sample of proton-proton collision data collected at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC in 2011. The integrated luminosity of the sample is 4.98 inverse femtobarns. The observed number of events is found to be consistent with the standard model expectation, which is evaluated using control samples in the data. The results are used to constrain cross sections for the production of supersymmetric particles decaying to b-quark-enriched final states in the context of simplified model spectra.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review

Compressed representation of a partially defined integer function over multiple arguments

In OLAP (OnLine Analitical Processing) data are analysed in an n-dimensional cube. The cube may be represented as a partially defined function over n arguments. Considering that often the function is not defined everywhere, we ask: is there a known way of representing the function or the points in which it is defined, in a more compact manner than the trivial one