Linking Small Farmers to Emerging Agricultural Marketing Systems in India—The Case Study of a Fresh Food Retail Chain in Punjab

Retail chain, small farmers, agricultural marketing system, Agricultural and Food Policy, Q13, Q10,

Multidifferential study of identified charged hadron distributions in ZZ-tagged jets in proton-proton collisions at s=\sqrt{s}=13 TeV

Jet fragmentation functions are measured for the first time in proton-proton collisions for charged pions, kaons, and protons within jets recoiling against a $Z$ boson. The charged-hadron distributions are studied longitudinally and transversely to the jet direction for jets with transverse momentum 20 $< p_{\textrm{T}} < 100$ GeV and in the pseudorapidity range $2.5 < \eta < 4$. The data sample was collected with the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.64 fb$^{-1}$. Triple differential distributions as a function of the hadron longitudinal momentum fraction, hadron transverse momentum, and jet transverse momentum are also measured for the first time. This helps constrain transverse-momentum-dependent fragmentation functions. Differences in the shapes and magnitudes of the measured distributions for the different hadron species provide insights into the hadronization process for jets predominantly initiated by light quarks.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-013.html (LHCb public pages

Study of the B−→Λc+Λˉc−K−B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-} decay

The decay $B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-}$ is studied in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 $\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb experiment. In the $\Lambda_{c}^+ K^{-}$ system, the $\Xi_{c}(2930)^{0}$ state observed at the BaBar and Belle experiments is resolved into two narrower states, $\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}$ and $\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}$, whose masses and widths are measured to be $$m(\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}) = 2924.5 \pm 0.4 \pm 1.1 \,\mathrm{MeV}, \\ m(\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}) = 2938.5 \pm 0.9 \pm 2.3 \,\mathrm{MeV}, \\ \Gamma(\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}) = \phantom{000}4.8 \pm 0.9 \pm 1.5 \,\mathrm{MeV},\\ \Gamma(\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}) = \phantom{00}11.0 \pm 1.9 \pm 7.5 \,\mathrm{MeV},$$ where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The results are consistent with a previous LHCb measurement using a prompt $\Lambda_{c}^{+} K^{-}$ sample. Evidence of a new $\Xi_{c}(2880)^{0}$ state is found with a local significance of $3.8\,\sigma$, whose mass and width are measured to be $2881.8 \pm 3.1 \pm 8.5\,\mathrm{MeV}$ and $12.4 \pm 5.3 \pm 5.8 \,\mathrm{MeV}$, respectively. In addition, evidence of a new decay mode $\Xi_{c}(2790)^{0} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} K^{-}$ is found with a significance of $3.7\,\sigma$. The relative branching fraction of $B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-}$ with respect to the $B^{-} \to D^{+} D^{-} K^{-}$ decay is measured to be $2.36 \pm 0.11 \pm 0.22 \pm 0.25$, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third originates from the branching fractions of charm hadron decays.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-028.html (LHCb public pages

Measurement of the ratios of branching fractions R(D∗)\mathcal{R}(D^{*}) and R(D0)\mathcal{R}(D^{0})

The ratios of branching fractions $\mathcal{R}(D^{*})\equiv\mathcal{B}(\bar{B}\to D^{*}\tau^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\tau})/\mathcal{B}(\bar{B}\to D^{*}\mu^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\mu})$ and $\mathcal{R}(D^{0})\equiv\mathcal{B}(B^{-}\to D^{0}\tau^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\tau})/\mathcal{B}(B^{-}\to D^{0}\mu^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\mu})$ are measured, assuming isospin symmetry, using a sample of proton-proton collision data corresponding to 3.0 fb${ }^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity recorded by the LHCb experiment during 2011 and 2012. The tau lepton is identified in the decay mode $\tau^{-}\to\mu^{-}\nu_{\tau}\bar{\nu}_{\mu}$. The measured values are $\mathcal{R}(D^{*})=0.281\pm0.018\pm0.024$ and $\mathcal{R}(D^{0})=0.441\pm0.060\pm0.066$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The correlation between these measurements is $\rho=-0.43$. Results are consistent with the current average of these quantities and are at a combined 1.9 standard deviations from the predictions based on lepton flavor universality in the Standard Model.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-039.html (LHCb public pages

An optoelectronic instrument for the determination of sulphite in beverages.

The paper describes an optoelectronic device that has been designed and developed to measure the sulphite concentration in beverages for quality evaluation. A selective and sensitive method for determination of sulphite is based on the reaction with pararosaniline acid bleached dye and formaldehyde solution, which gives violet colored complex having absorption maxima at 560 nm. Lambert–Beer’s law is obeyed in the concentration range up to 25 μg/ml (25 ppm) of test solution within an accuracy of ±0.05μg/ml (0.05 ppm). The instrument involves the use of high intensity green light emitting diode (LED) of wavelength 565 nm as light source. BPW21 photodiode having the relative spectral sensitivity above 90% in the range of 500–600 nm has been used as a detector, for the determination of sulphite concentration

Linking Small Farmers to Emerging Agricultural Marketing Systems in India—The Case Study of a Fresh Food Retail Chain in Punjab

Linking primary producers with global and national markets through fresh food retail chains is seen as one of the emerging agricultural marketing practices in India to improve small producer’s livelihoods. The fresh food retail chains are investing from farm to fork to buy fruits and vegetables directly from farmers and sell them to retail buyers. However, fresh food retail chains are largely found working with only large farmers and exclude small farmers for various reasons. In this context, this paper has examined the operations of a fresh food retail chain named ‘Easy Day’ and its interface with farmers in Punjab. The study has revealed that fresh food retail chain primarily works with small intensive vegetable cultivators. It has been found that the retail chain farmers could realize higher profits compared to non-RC (traditional market supplying) farmers mainly because of higher yield and higher price realization in the traditional market because of better quality produce. The retail chain procures only a part of the farmers’ produce and the remaining produce has to be sold in the local markets. The retail chain has not made a genuine effort to provide agri-inputs and extension services to the farmers. The study has proposed a number of strategies to further facilitate the marketing of produce of small farmers

Electro-chemical system for the determination of degree of unsaturation of edible oils

The research paper describes platinum–calomel electrodes electro-chemical system for the determination of degree of unsaturation of edible oils. The change in potential, when platinum and calomel electrodes are immersed in 2% iodine mono-chloride solution (ICl) in acetic acid with respect to iodine mono-chloride solution containing edible oil, has direct correlation to degree of unsaturation of edible oils. Edible oils have a chain of carbon atoms with double bonds where addition of halogen reagent takes place. In this investigation iodine mono-chloride solution in glacial acetic acid reacts with edible oils and change in potential of reaction mixture with respect to ICl stock solution using platinum and calomel electrodes relates to the degree of unsaturation of edible oils. A portable system has also been fabricated in which potential change directly relates to iodine number of the edible oils, which is directly displaced on Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

Microcontroller (MCS-51) based optoelectronic system for the determination of metal and non-metal ions

An optoelectronic system using Microcontroller 89C51 for measurement of concentration, absorption and transmission of inorganic phosphate phosphorous is described. Phosphorous reacts with potassium antimony tartrate and ammonium molybdate solution to form phosphoantimonyl molybdate complex, which on reduction with ascorbic acid forms blue colour. This blue coloured complex shows absorption maxima at 695 nm and obeys Lambert-Beer’s law in the concentration range of 0.05-1.00 ppm. Tungsten lamp is used as a light source with a grating (600 lines/mm) to obtain a linear spectrum. A sine drive is used along with the stepper motor that can adjust the grating to achieve the desired wavelength (695 nm). Silicon photodiode is used as a detector having peak spectral response at 800 nm