Proton Decay: Improving the sensitivity through nuclear dynamics?

The kinematics of the decay of a bound proton is governed by the proton spectral function. We evaluate this quantity in 16O using the information from nuclear physics experiments. It also includes a correlated part. The reliability of this evaluation is sufficient to open the possibility of correlated cuts in the missing mass and momentum variables in order to identify the decay events from the bound protons with a possible increase of the signal to noise ratio.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures. CERN preprint: CERN-PH-TH/2010-036. To appear in Phys Rev

Relativistic eikonal description of A(p,pN) reactions

The authors present a relativistic and cross-section factorized framework for computing quasielastic A(p,pN) observables at intermediate and high energies. The model is based on the eikonal approximation and can accomodate both optical potentials and the Glauber method for dealing with the initial- and final-state interactions (IFSI). At lower nucleon energies, the optical-potential philosophy is preferred, whereas at higher energies the Glauber method is more natural. This versatility in dealing with the IFSI allows one to describe A(p,pN) reactions in a wide energy range. Most results presented here use optical potentials as this approach is argued to be the optimum choice for the kinematics of the experiments considered in the present paper. The properties of the IFSI factor, a function wherein the entire effect of the IFSI is contained, are studied in detail. The predictions of the presented framework are compared with two kinematically different experiments. First, differential cross sections for quasielastic proton scattering at 1 GeV off 12C, 16O, and 40Ca target nuclei are computed and compared to data from PNPI. Second, the formalism is applied to the analysis of a 4He(p,2p) experiment at 250 MeV. The optical-potential calculations are found to be in good agreement with the data from both experiments, showing the reliability of the adopted model in a wide energy range.Comment: 34 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

From professional knowledge – to transprofessional competence

The description of the main changes to the paradigm of vocational education happened when its essence transfers from supporting to innovative type is presented in the article. When developing competence-based models and methods of assessment of training results of future experts is offered to consider features of working conditions, namely to determine the level of not programmability of a production activityРассматриваются основные парадигмальные изменения, происходящие в профессиональном образовании при его переходе от поддерживающего к инновационному. Предлагается при разработке компетентностных моделей и методов оценки результатов обучения будущих специалистов учитывать особенности предполагаемых производственных условий, а именно определять уровень непрограммируемости производственной деятельност

A cross-sectional study measuring vanadium and chromium levels in paediatric patients with CKD

Objectives Although many secondary effects of high levels of vanadium (V) and chromium (Cr) overlap with symptoms seen in paediatric patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), their plasma V and Cr levels are understudied. Design Ancillary cross-sectional study to a prospective, longitudinal, randomised controlled trial. Setting Children\u27s Hospital of Western Ontario, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada. Participants 36 children and adolescents 4-18 years of age with CKD. Interventions 1-6 trace element measurements per patient. Cystatin C (CysC) estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the Filler formula. Plasma V and Cr levels were measured using high-resolution sector field inductively coupled mass spectrometry. Anthropomorphic data and blood parameters were collected from our electronic chart programme. Water Cr and V data were obtained from the Ontario Water (Stream) Quality Monitoring Network. Primary and secondary outcome measures Primary outcomes: Plasma Cr and V. Secondary outcomes: Age, season, CysC, CysC eGFR, and Cr and V levels in environmental water. Results The median (IQR) eGFR was 51 mL/min/1.73 m 2 (35, 75). The median V level was 0.12 μg/L (0.09, 0.18), which was significantly greater than the 97.5th percentile of the reference interval of 0.088 μg/L; 32 patients had at least one set of V levels above the published reference interval. The median Cr level was 0.43 μg/L (0.36, 0.54), which was also significantly greater than the established reference interval; 34 had at least one set of Cr levels above the published reference interval. V and Cr levels were moderately correlated. Only some patients had high environmental exposure. Conclusions Our study suggests that paediatric patients with CKD have elevated plasma levels of V and Cr. This may be the result of both environmental exposure and a low eGFR. It may be necessary to monitor V and Cr levels in patients with an eGFR \u3c30 mL/min/1.73 m2

Measurement of tensor analyzing powers in deuteron photodisintegration

New accurate measurement of tensor analyzing powers T20, T21 and T22 in deuteron photodisintegration has been performed. Wide-aperture non-magnetic detectors allowed to cover broad kinematic ranges in a single setup: photon energy = 25 to 600 MeV, proton emission angle in CM = 24 to 48 deg. and 70 to 102 deg. New data provide a significant improvement of a few existing measurements. The angular dependency of the tensor asymmetries in deuteron photodisintegration is extracted for the first time.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Probing coherent charmonium photoproduction off light nuclei at medium energies

We demonstrate how the elementary amplitudes $\gamma N\to \Psi N$, the amplitude of the nondiagonal $J/\psi N\Leftrightarrow \psi' N$ transition, and the total $J/\psi N$ and $\psi' N$ cross sections can be determined from measurements of the coherent $J/\psi$ and $\psi'$ photoproduction off light nuclei at moderate energies. For this purpose we provide a detailed numerical analysis of the coherent charmonium photoproduction off silicon within the generalized vector dominance model (GVDM) adjusted to account for the physics of charmonium models and color transparency phenomenon.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures (color

POGs/PlantRBP: a resource for comparative genomics in plants

POGs/PlantRBP () is a relational database that integrates data from rice, Arabidopsis, and maize by placing the complete Arabidopsis and rice proteomes and available maize sequences into ‘putative orthologous groups’ (POGs). Annotation efforts will focus on predicted RNA binding proteins (RBPs): i.e. those with known RNA binding domains or otherwise implicated in RNA function. POGs form the heart of the database, and were assigned using a mutual-best-hit-strategy after performing BLAST comparisons of the predicted Arabidopsis and rice proteomes. Each POG entry includes orthologs in Arabidopsis and rice, annotated with domain organization, gene models, phylogenetic trees, and multiple intracellular targeting predictions. A graphical display maps maize sequences on to their most similar rice gene model. The database can be queried using any combination of gene name, accession, domain, and predicted intracellular location, or using BLAST. Useful features of the database include the ability to search for proteins with both a specified domain content and intracellular location, the concurrent display of mutual best hits and phylogenetic trees which facilitates evaluation of POG assignments, the association of maize sequences with POGs, and the display of targeting predictions and domain organization for all POG members, which reveals consistency, or lack thereof, of those predictions

Radio-frequency discharges in Oxygen. Part 1: Modeling

In this series of three papers we present results from a combined experimental and theoretical effort to quantitatively describe capacitively coupled radio-frequency discharges in oxygen. The particle-in-cell Monte-Carlo model on which the theoretical description is based will be described in the present paper. It treats space charge fields and transport processes on an equal footing with the most important plasma-chemical reactions. For given external voltage and pressure, the model determines the electric potential within the discharge and the distribution functions for electrons, negatively charged atomic oxygen, and positively charged molecular oxygen. Previously used scattering and reaction cross section data are critically assessed and in some cases modified. To validate our model, we compare the densities in the bulk of the discharge with experimental data and find good agreement, indicating that essential aspects of an oxygen discharge are captured.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figure

Analysis of Mechanical Safety of Stadiums for the World Cup 2018

It is obvious that contemporary design and construction of unique buildings and structures is unthinkable without mathematical (numerical) and computer modelling and advanced analysis ofload-bearing structures under various kinds ofloads and impacts. One of the most ambitious and important construction projects is the uniquelarge-span structures. These are, in particular, stadiums, sports palaces and water parks, shopping malls, pedestrian, road and railway bridges of various design solutions. The distinctive paper is devoted to theoretical foundations and results of mathematical (numerical) modeling of the state (in terms of the analysis of stress-strain state, strength and stability) of football stadiums built for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Finite element method is used for approximation and high-precision numerical solution of corresponding boundary problems of structural mechanics. It is the most universal and powerful numerical method of mechanics. The paper, in particular, describes some features of development of finite element models and the main results of the analysis of the mechanical (structural) safety of three- dimensionallarge-span systems "soil foundation - reinforced concrete structures of foundations and stands - steel structures of the coating and facades" of these football stadiums with the basic and specialload combinations. In addition, the key procedures of scientific support during the corresponding expertise and assessments are outlined. Generally, socially significant and knowledge-intensive problem of providing mechanical (constructive) safety of unique combined objects of construction (three-dimensional systems "foundation - reinforced concrete structures of foundations and stands - steel structures of coating and facades") has been solved at a new level as a result of the performed complex of research works

Measurement of Angular Distributions and R= sigma_L/sigma_T in Diffractive Electroproduction of rho^0 Mesons

Production and decay angular distributions were extracted from measurements of exclusive electroproduction of the rho^0(770) meson over a range in the virtual photon negative four-momentum squared 0.5< Q^2 <4 GeV^2 and the photon-nucleon invariant mass range 3.8< W <6.5 GeV. The experiment was performed with the HERMES spectrometer, using a longitudinally polarized positron beam and a ^3He gas target internal to the HERA e^{+-} storage ring. The event sample combines rho^0 mesons produced incoherently off individual nucleons and coherently off the nucleus as a whole. The distributions in one production angle and two angles describing the rho^0 -> pi+ pi- decay yielded measurements of eight elements of the spin-density matrix, including one that had not been measured before. The results are consistent with the dominance of helicity-conserving amplitudes and natural parity exchange. The improved precision achieved at 47 GeV, reveals evidence for an energy dependence in the ratio R of the longitudinal to transverse cross sections at constant Q^2.Comment: 15 pages, 15 embedded figures, LaTeX for SVJour(epj) document class Revision: Fig. 15 corrected, recent data added to Figs. 10,12,14,15; minor changes to tex