Evidence for a narrow dip structure at 1.9 GeV/c2^2 in 3π+3π−3\pi^+ 3\pi^- diffractive photoproduction

A narrow dip structure has been observed at 1.9 GeV/c$^2$ in a study of diffractive photoproduction of the $~3\pi^+3\pi^-$ final state performed by the Fermilab experiment E687.Comment: The data of Figure 6 can be obtained by downloading the raw data file e687_6pi.txt. v5 (2nov2018): added Fig. 7, the 6 pion energy distribution as requested by a reade

Study of J\psi decaying into \omega p \bar p

The decay $J/\psi \to \omega p \bar p$ is studied using a $5.8 \times 10^7$ $J/\psi$ event sample accumulated with the BES II detector at the Beijing electron-positron collider. The decay branching fraction is measured to be $B(J/\psi \to \omega p \bar p)=(9.8\pm 0.3\pm 1.4)\times 10^{-4}$. No significant enhancement near the $p\bar p$ mass threshold is observed, and an upper limit of $B(J/\psi \to \omega X(1860))B(X(1860)\to p\bar p)$$$$< 1.5 \times 10^{-5}$ is determined at the 95% confidence level, where X(1860) designates the near-threshold enhancement seen in the $p\bar p$ mass spectrum in $J/\psi \to \gamma p \bar p$ decays.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Characteristics of the nuclear (18S, 5.8S, 28S and 5S) and mitochondrial (12S and 16S) rRNA genes of Apis mellifera (Insecta: Hymenoptera): structure, organization, and retrotransposable elements

As an accompanying manuscript to the release of the honey bee genome, we report the entire sequence of the nuclear (18S, 5.8S, 28S and 5S) and mitochondrial (12S and 16S) ribosomal RNA (rRNA)-encoding gene sequences (rDNA) and related internally and externally transcribed spacer regions of Apis mellifera (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apocrita). Additionally, we predict secondary structures for the mature rRNA molecules based on comparative sequence analyses with other arthropod taxa and reference to recently published crystal structures of the ribosome. In general, the structures of honey bee rRNAs are in agreement with previously predicted rRNA models from other arthropods in core regions of the rRNA, with little additional expansion in non-conserved regions. Our multiple sequence alignments are made available on several public databases and provide a preliminary establishment of a global structural model of all rRNAs from the insects. Additionally, we provide conserved stretches of sequences flanking the rDNA cistrons that comprise the externally transcribed spacer regions (ETS) and part of the intergenic spacer region (IGS), including several repetitive motifs. Finally, we report the occurrence of retrotransposition in the nuclear large subunit rDNA, as R2 elements are present in the usual insertion points found in other arthropods. Interestingly, functional R1 elements usually present in the genomes of insects were not detected in the honey bee rRNA genes. The reverse transcriptase products of the R2 elements are deduced from their putative open reading frames and structurally aligned with those from another hymenopteran insect, the jewel wasp Nasonia (Pteromalidae). Stretches of conserved amino acids shared between Apis and Nasonia are illustrated and serve as potential sites for primer design, as target amplicons within these R2 elements may serve as novel phylogenetic markers for Hymenoptera. Given the impending completion of the sequencing of the Nasonia genome, we expect our report eventually to shed light on the evolution of the hymenopteran genome within higher insects, particularly regarding the relative maintenance of conserved rDNA genes, related variable spacer regions and retrotransposable elements

Stress concentration factor parametric equations for tubular X and DT joints

During the design stage, the peak stress is usually needed for estimating the fatigue life of offshore tubular welded joints by an SN approach. However, for fracture mechanics calculations of remaining life, on cracked joints in service, information is required on the magnitude and distribution of the stress acting in the anticipated crack path, not just the peak stress at one location. Fatigue crack propagation rates are important to reliability-based inspection scheduling: hence the need for this information is becoming more pressing. Parametric equations are available for Y and T joints in terms of peak stress, stress distribution and bending-to-membrane ratio. However, for X and DT joints, there are no parametric equations for stress variation through the thickness and around the intersection. Even for stress concentration factor (SCF), so far there is no full set of parametric equations especially for single-brace loading. Thin-shell finite element analyses have been conducted for 330 X and DT joints typical of those used in offshore structures, subject to six modes of loading. The results from this work have been used to produce a new set of parametric equations as a function of non-dimensional joint geometric ratios α, β, γ, τ and θ by carrying out regression analysis. These equations can be used to predict SCFs at the crown toe, saddle, crown heel and hot-spot positions for each mode of loading, for both chord and brace, as well as the angular location of the hot-spot stress site around the intersection. This set of SCF parametric equations has been assessed by comparing the predicted values with results from steel and acrylic model tests and also with the predictions from existing parametric formulae given in the literature. The degree of bending data, and stress distribution data, will be reported in other publications

Parametric equations to predict stress distributions along the intersection of tubular X and DT-joints

Accurate information on stress distributions along the intersection is required for fatigue strength assessment of tubular joints. However, there is no parametric equation currently available in the open literature to predict this information for tubular X and DT-joints. Systematic thin shell finite element (FE) analyses have been conducted for 330 different tubular X and DT-joints, typical of those used in offshore structures, subjected to six different modes of loading. A novel two dimensional regression methodology was developed to curve-fit all of the FE results from this work. A set of parametric equations was derived to predict the stress distributions along both chord and brace toes in tubular X and DT-joints under each mode of loading. These equations were assessed by comparing the predictions with available experimental data. Validation results show that they can be used to predict stress concentration factor (SCF) distributions along the intersection but also provide an alternative method for calculation of hot spot SCF