Observation of the Baryonic Flavor-Changing Neutral Current Decay Lambda_b -> Lambda mu+ mu-

We report the first observation of the baryonic flavor-changing neutral current decay Lambda_b -> Lambda mu+ mu- with 24 signal events and a statistical significance of 5.8 Gaussian standard deviations. This measurement uses ppbar collisions data sample corresponding to 6.8fb-1 at sqrt{s}=1.96TeV collected by the CDF II detector at the Tevatron collider. The total and differential branching ratios for Lambda_b -> Lambda mu+ mu- are measured. We find B(Lambda_b -> Lambda mu+ mu-) = [1.73+-0.42(stat)+-0.55(syst)] x 10^{-6}. We also report the first measurement of the differential branching ratio of B_s -> phi mu+ mu- using 49 signal events. In addition, we report branching ratios for B+ -> K+ mu+ mu-, B0 -> K0 mu+ mu-, and B -> K*(892) mu+ mu- decays.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, 4 tables. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

The Resource Curse and Rentier States in the Caspian Region : A Need for Context Analysis

Although much attention is paid to the Caspian region with regard to energy issues, the domestic consequences of the region’s resource production have so far constituted a neglected field of research. A systematic survey of the latest research trends in the economic and political causalities of the resource curse and of rentier states reveals that there is a need for context analysis. In reference to this, the paper traces any shortcomings and promising approaches in the existent body of literature on the Caspian region. Following on from this, the paper then proposes a new approach; specifically, one in which any differences and similarities in the context conditions are captured. This enables a more precise exploration of the exact ways in which they form contemporary post-Soviet Caspian rentier states.Obwohl der Region am Kaspischen Meer im Zuge von Energiediskursen große Aufmerksamkeit zuteil wird, stellen die innerstaatlichen Folgen der Ressourcenproduktion in der Region ein bislang vernachlässigtes Forschungsfeld dar. Ein systematischer Überblick über die jüngsten Forschungstrends zu wirtschaftlichen und politischen Kausalzusammenhängen des Ressourcenfluchs und zu Rentierstaaten offenbart die Notwendigkeit von Kontextanalysen. Hierauf Bezug nehmend, analysiert der Aufsatz sowohl die Mängel als auch viel versprechende Ansätze in der betreffenden Literatur zur Region am Kaspischen Meer. Der Aufsatz stellt letztendlich einen neuen Ansatz vor, der Unterschiede und Gemeinsamkeiten in den Kontextbedingungen erfasst, um zu erforschen, wie diese die gegenwärtigen post-sowjetischen Rentierstaaten in der Region am Kaspischen Meer tatsächlich prägen

Limits on Anomalous Trilinear Gauge Couplings in Z gamma Events from p(p)over-bar Collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

Using Z gamma candidate events collected by the CDF detector at the Tevatron Collider, we search for potential anomalous (non-standard-model) couplings between the Z boson and the photon. Z gamma couplings vanish at tree level and are heavily suppressed at higher orders; hence any evidence of couplings indicates new physics. Measurements are performed using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.9 fb(-1) in the Z -> nu(nu) over bar decay channel and 5: 1 fb(-1) in the Z -> l(+)l(-) (l - mu, e) decay channels. The combination of these measurements provides the most stringent limits to date on Z gamma trilinear gauge couplings. Using an energy scale of Lambda = 1.5 TeV to allow for a direct comparison with previous measurements, we find limits on the CP-conserving parameters that describe Z gamma couplings to be vertical bar h(3)(gamma,Z)vertical bar < 0.022 and vertical bar h(4)(gamma,Z)vertical bar < 0.0009. These results are consistent with standard model predictions

Methods of decreasing winter mortality of the southwestern corn borer to obtain moths for experimental studies

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1950 W53Master of Scienc

Setting the scene for dryland recovery: an overview and key findings from a workshop targeting seed-based restoration

© 2016 Society for Ecological Restoration. With nearly a quarter of global dryland systems considered to be degraded, the level and scale of degradation often exceed the thresholds for autogenic recovery, requiring human intervention to ensure that ecosystem biodiversity, structure, and function can be improved. A “Think Tank” workshop focusing on advancing the ecological approaches to large-scale restoration in degraded environments was held at Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Western Australia. Acknowledging that adaptive and broadly multidisciplinary strategies are paramount to achieving restoration in a repeatable and cost-effective manner, the workshop served as a forum to bring together plant scientists, ecologists, engineers, and environmental managers involved in dryland restoration from around the globe. This introductory paper to this special issue summarizes important contemporary challenges facing dryland restoration worldwide, offers a synthesis of the fundamental workshop themes, and provides a contextual overview for the series of invited papers in this issue, comprising reviews and case studies in seed and restoration technologies

Exploitation of Gene Expression and Cancer Biomarkers in Paving the Path to Era of Personalized Medicine

Cancer therapy agents have been used extensively as cytotoxic drugs against tissue or organ of a specific type of cancer. With the better understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying carcinogenesis and cellular events during cancer progression and metastasis, it is now possible to use targeted therapy for these molecular events. Targeted therapy is able to identify cancer patients with dissimilar genetic defects at cellular level for the same cancer type and consequently requires individualized approach for treatment. Cancer therapy begins to shift steadily from the traditional approach of “one regimen for all patients” to a more individualized approach, through which each patient will be treated specifically according to their specific genetic defects. Personalized medicine accordingly requires identification of indicators or markers that guide in the decision making of such therapy to the chosen patients for more effective therapy. Cancer biomarkers are frequently used in clinical practice for diagnosis and prognosis, as well as identification of responsive patients and prediction of treatment response of cancer patient. The rapid breakthrough and development of microarray and sequencing technologies is probably the main tool for paving the way toward “individualized biomarker-driven cancer therapy” or “personalized medicine”. In this review, we aim to provide an updated knowledge and overview of the current landscape of cancer biomarkers and their role in personalized medicine, emphasizing the impact of genomics on the implementation of new potential targeted therapies and development of novel cancer biomarkers in improving the outcome of cancer therapy