824 research outputs found
Attenuation of phi mesons in gamma A reactions
We present a theoretical analysis of inclusive photoproduction of phi mesons
in nuclei. In particular the dependence of the total phi meson yield on the
target mass number is investigated. The calculations are done using the
semi-classical BUU transport approach that combines the initial state
interaction of the incoming photon with the coupled-channel dynamics of the
final state particles. The conditions of the calculations are chosen such as to
match the set up of a recent experiment performed at SPring8/Osaka. Whereas the
observables prove to be rather sensitive to the phi self energy in the medium,
the attribution of deviations from the standard scenario to a particular
in-medium effect seems to be impossible.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
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Mutation of ornithine transcarbamylase (H136R) in a girl with severe intermittent orotic aciduria but normal enzyme activity
Ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency shows X-linked inheritance with partial dominant expression in carrier females. We studied a girl with intermittent severe orotic aciduria and mild hyperammonaemia despite apparently normal enzyme activity in the liver. Sequence analysis of all 10 exons of the ornithine transcarbamylase gene revealed a novel a â G exchange (A502G) in exon 5 which changes His-136 to arginine in the ornithine transcarbamylase protein. Km values for carbamyl phosphate and ornithine determined in the patient's liver were comparable to those of wild-type enzyme but, unlike the wild-type enzyme, the mutant enzyme was unstable upon freezing and thawing. Electron microscopy revealed several giant mitochondria with paracrystalline inclusions. The results are compatible with the assumption that the mutant enzyme cannot form a functional complex with carbamyl phosphate synthetase and the ornithine carrier, resulting in decreased availability of substrates and diminished enzyme activity in viv
Key management practices to reduce the risk of the occurrence of Rumex obtusifolius in productive grasslands
Rumex obtusifolius (broad-leaved dock) is a problematic weed that reduces yield and nutritional value of forage in grasslands of temperate regions worldwide. We conducted an on-farm study to identify management practices and environmental factors that influence the risk of the occurrence of R. obtusifolius in high densities in permanent, productive grasslands used for forage production. Following a common protocol, a paired caseâcontrol design was implemented in Switzerland (CH), Slovenia (SI), and United Kingdom (UK) to compare parcels with high densities of R. obtusifolius (cases, â„1 plant mâ2) with nearby parcels free of or with very low densities of the species (controls, â€4 plants 100âmâ2). A total of 40, 20, and 18 pairs were recorded in CH, SI, and UK respectively. Parameters measured included data about management practices and history, vegetation cover and composition, and soil nutrients and texture. Across countries, increased vegetation cover reduced the relative risk of R. obtusifolius occurrence. By contrast, increased soil phosphorus and potassium and high soil bulk density raised the relative risk. These effects were consistent across countries, as no interactions between country and any of the factors were observed. The two indicator species for case parcels, Plantago major and Poa annua, were typical species of disturbed areas and fertile soils, while indicators for control parcels were characteristic of grasslands under medium to high management intensity (e.g., Festuca rubra, Cynosorus cristatus, Anthoxantum odoratum). We conclude that the risk for grassland infestation with R. obtusifolius can be significantly affected by management practices. Prevention measures should target phosphorus and potassium fertilisation to the forage plants' requirements, minimise soil compaction, and maintain dense swards
Quantifying the social and economic benefits of the biological control of invasive alien plants in natural ecosystems
Invasive alien plants reduce ecosystem service delivery, resulting in environmental, economic and social costs. Here we review the returns on investment from biological control of alien plants that invade natural ecosystems. Quantifying the economic benefits of biological control requires estimates of the reductions in ecosystem goods and services arising from invasion. It also requires post-release monitoring to assess whether biological control can restore them, and conversion of these estimates to monetary values, which has seldom been done. Past studies, mainly from Australia and South Africa, indicate that biological control delivers positive and substantial returns on investment, with benefit:cost ratios ranging from 8:1 to over 3000:1. Recent studies are rare, but they confirm that successful biological control delivers attractive returns on investment, which increase over time as the value of avoided impacts accumulates
Unusual bound states of quark matter within the NJL model
Properties of dense quark matter in and out of chemical equilibrium are
studied within the SU(3) Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model. In addition to the 4-fermion
scalar and vector terms the model includes also the 6-fermion flavour mixing
interaction. First we study a novel form of deconfined matter, meso-matter,
which is composed of equal number of quarks and antiquarks. It can be thought
of as a strongly compressed meson gas where mesons are melted into their
elementary constituents, quarks and antiquarks. Strongly bound states in this
quark-antiquark matter are predicted for all flavour combinations of
quark-antiquark pairs. The maximum binding energy reaches up to 180 MeV per
pair for mixtures with about 70% of strange quark-antiquark pairs. Equilibrated
baryon-rich quark matter with various flavour compositions is also studied. In
this case only shallow bound states appear in systems with a significant
admixture (about 40%) of strange quarks (strangelets). Their binding energies
are quite sensitive to the relative strengths of scalar and vector
interactions. The common property of all these bound states is that they appear
at high particle densities when the chiral symmetry is nearly restored. Thermal
properties of meso-matter as well as chemically equilibrated strange quark
matter are also investigated. Possible decay modes of these bound states are
discussed.Comment: 26 pages, 16 PostScript figures, RevTe
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