Monitoring of microbial dynamics in a drinking water distribution system using the culture-free, user-friendly, MYcrobiota platform

Drinking water utilities currently rely on a range of microbiological detection techniques to evaluate the quality of their drinking water (DW). However, microbiota profiling using culture-free 16S rRNA gene next-generation sequencing (NGS) provides an opportunity for improved monitoring of the microbial ecology and quality of DW. Here, we evaluated the utility of a previously validated microbiota profiling platform (MYcrobiota) to investigate the microbial dynamics of a full-scale, non-chlorinated DW distribution system (DWDS). In contrast to conventional methods, we observed spatial and temporal bacterial genus changes (expressed as operational taxonomic units - OTUs) within the DWDS. Further, a small subset of bacterial OTUs dominated with abundances that shifted across the length of the DWDS, and were particularly affected by a post-disinfection step. We also found seasonal variation in OTUs within the DWDS and that many OTUs could not be identified, even though MYcrobiota is specifically designed to reduce potential PCR sequencing artefacts. This suggests that our current knowledge about the microbial ecology of DW communities is limited. Our findings demonstrate that the user-friendly MYcrobiota platform facilitates culture-free, standardized microbial dynamics monitoring and has the capacity to facilitate the introduction of microbiota profiling into the management of drinking water quality

Updated precision measurement of the average lifetime of B hadrons

The measurement of the average lifetime of B hadrons using inclusively reconstructed secondary vertices has been updated using both an improved processing of previous data and additional statistics from new data. This has reduced the statistical and systematic uncertainties and gives \tau_{\mathrm{B}} = 1.582 \pm 0.011\ \mathrm{(stat.)} \pm 0.027\ \mathrm{(syst.)}\ \mathrm{ps.} Combining this result with the previous result based on charged particle impact parameter distributions yields \tau_{\mathrm{B}} = 1.575 \pm 0.010\ \mathrm{(stat.)} \pm 0.026\ \mathrm{(syst.)}\ \mathrm{ps.

A study of radiative muon-pair events at Z0 energies and limits on an additional Z′ gauge beson

An analysis is reported on the channel e+e-→μ+μ- (nγ), n=1,2..., using data taken with the DELPHI detector at LEP from 1990 to 1992. Differential cross sections of the radiative photons as a function of photon energy and of the angle between the photon and the muon are presented. No significant deviations from expectations are observed. The data are also used to extract the muon-pair cross section and asymmetry below the Z0 peak by using those events with relatively hard initial state radiative photon(s). The measured cross section and asymmetry show no significant deviation from the Standard Model expectations. These results together with the DELPHI cross section and asymmetry measurements at the LEP energies from the 1990 to 1992 running periods are used to determine limits on the Z0-Z′ gauge boson mixing angle θZ′ and on the Z′ mass. There is no indication of the existence of a Z′; the limits obtained on the mixing angle substantially improve upon existing limits. The 95% confidence level allowed ranges of θZ′ in various models are: {Mathematical expression} © 1995 Springer-Verlag

A measurement of B+ and B0 lifetimes using Mathematical expression events

A measurement of B meson lifetimes is presented using data collected from 1991 to 1993 by the DELPHI detector at the LEP collider. Samples of events with a D meson and a lepton in the same jet are selected where {Mathematical expression} and D*ℓ+ events originate mainly from the semileptonic decays of B+ and B0 mesons, respectively. From the reconstructed B decay length and the estimated B momentum, taking into account the dilution due to B decays into {Mathematical expression}, the following B meson lifetimes and lifetime ratio are measured: {Mathematical expression} and an average lifetime of B+ and B0 mesons is obtained: {Mathematical expression} © 1995 Springer-Verlag

B* production in Z decays

The decay B*→Bγ has been observed with the DELPHI detector at LEP, where the B* meson is produced in Z boson decays. The combination of inclusively reconstructed B mesons with well-measured converted photons yields a measurement of the flavour-averaged B*-B mass difference of 45.5±0.3 (stat.) ±0.8 (syst.) MeV/c2. 95% confidence level upper limits at 6 MeV/c2 are placed on both the isospin (i.e. B+-B0) and the Bs-Bud splitting of the mass difference. The production ratio of B* to B mesons in Z decays is measured to be 0.72±0.03 (stat.) ±0.06 (syst.). Limits on the production cross-section of other hypothetical excited B hadron states decaying radiatively are established. The differential B* cross section has been measured to be in good agreement with the average b fragmentation, yielding an average fractional B* energy of 〈xE〉=0.695±0.009 (stat.) ±0.013 (syst.). From the decay angular distribution the relative contribution of longitudinal B* polarisation states is measured to be σL/(σL + σT) = 0.32 ± 0.04 (stat.) ±0.03 (syst.). © 1995 Springer-Verlag