Relationship Between Physiological Characteristic and Bean Quality on Some Cocoa Clones (Theobroma Cacao L.)

Photosynthesis is one of the physiological process that influence the bean weight and this process related with the efectiveness of the stomata character and chlorophyll content in the leaves. The research was conducted at Kaliwining Research Station, Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute. Design of experiment was randomized complete block design (RCBD) consisted of six clones as treatment were Sulawesi 1, Sulawesi 2, Sca 6, ICS 60, TSH 858, ICCRI 03, PA 300. Each treatment was replicated three times. Stomata resistance diffusion, tranpiration,the content of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, chlorophyll total (a+b), bean number and bean weight were observed. The resuts of experiment showed that difference in chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, chlorophyll total (a+b), stomata resistance diffusion, bean number and bean weight existed within six clones tested. Transpiration rate did not show the significantly different between six clones tested. Sulawesi 1 showed the highest content of chlorophyll a and ICS 60 and ICCRI 03 showed higher content of chlorophyll b than the other clones. Chlorophyll a, b and total (a+b) showed positively influence on bean number and bean weight. Transpiration rate had negatively influence to bean number per pod, on the otherhand it showed positively influence to bean weight. Chlorophyll total (a+b) showed high genetic variance (σg2), high phenotypic variance (σf2) and high estimated value of heritability (H). The chlorophyll a,b had moderate genetic variance, moderate phenotypic variance and high of estimated value of heritability. Chlorophyll total (a+b) could be used a selection criteria based on the value of correlation, genetic variance, phenotypic variance and estimated value of heritability would give high opportunity in selection process

Hunting for the alpha: B→ρρB\to \rho\rho, B→ππB \to \pi\pi, B→πρB \to\pi\rho

The hypothesis of the smallness of penguin contribution to charmless strangeless $B_d (\bar B_d)$ decays allows to determine with high accuracy the value of angle $\alpha$ from the currently available $B \to \rho\rho$, $B \to \pi\pi$ and $B\to \rho\pi$ decay data.Comment: 9 page

Quasi-diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (QDI): A fast, high b-value diffusion imaging technique.

To enable application of non-Gaussian diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) techniques in large-scale clinical trials and facilitate translation to clinical practice there is a requirement for fast, high contrast, techniques that are sensitive to changes in tissue structure which provide diagnostic signatures at the early stages of disease. Here we describe a new way to compress the acquisition of multi-shell b-value diffusion data, Quasi-Diffusion MRI (QDI), which provides a probe of subvoxel tissue complexity using short acquisition times (1-4 min). We also describe a coherent framework for multi-directional diffusion gradient acquisition and data processing that allows computation of rotationally invariant quasi-diffusion tensor imaging (QDTI) maps. QDI is a quantitative technique that is based on a special case of the Continuous Time Random Walk model of diffusion dynamics and assumes the presence of non-Gaussian diffusion properties within tissue microstructure. QDI parameterises the diffusion signal attenuation according to the rate of decay (i.e. diffusion coefficient, D in mm2 s-1) and the shape of the power law tail (i.e. the fractional exponent, α). QDI provides analogous tissue contrast to Diffusional Kurtosis Imaging (DKI) by calculation of normalised entropy of the parameterised diffusion signal decay curve, Hn, but does so without the limitations of a maximum b-value. We show that QDI generates images with superior tissue contrast to conventional diffusion imaging within clinically acceptable acquisition times of between 84 and 228 s. We show that QDI provides clinically meaningful images in cerebral small vessel disease and brain tumour case studies. Our initial findings suggest that QDI may be added to routine conventional dMRI acquisitions allowing simple application in clinical trials and translation to the clinical arena

Chemical capacitance proposed for manganite-based ceramics

The measured value of effective electric permittivity \varepsilon_{eff} of several compounds, e.g., (BiNa)(MnNb)O_{3}, (BiPb)(MnNb)O_{3}, and BiMnO_{3} increases from a value \approx 10-100 at the low temperature range (100-300 K) up to the high value reaching the value 10^5 at high temperature range, e.g., 500-800 K. Such features suggest the manifestation of thermally activated space charge carriers, which effect the measured capacitance. The measured high-value effective permittivity of several manganite compounds can be ascribed to the chemical capacitance C_{\mu}=e^2\partial N_{i}/\partial \mu_{i} expressed in terms of the chemical potential \mu. The chemical capacitance C_{\mu}^{(cb)} = e^2 n_{C}/k_{B}T depends on temperature when the conduction electrons with density n_{C} = N_{C} \exp(\mu_{n}- E_{C})/k_{B}T are considered. The experimental results obtained for the manganite compounds, at high temperature range, are discussed in the framework of the chemical capacitance model. However, the measured capacitance dependence on geometrical factors is analysed for BiMnO_{3} indicating that the non-homogeneous electrostatic capacitor model is valid in 300-500 K range.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

The impact of computed high b-value images on the diagnostic accuracy of DWI for prostate cancer: A receiver operating characteristics analysis.

To evaluate the performance of computed high b value diffusion-weighted images (DWI) in prostate cancer detection. 97 consecutive patients who had undergone multiparametric MRI of the prostate followed by biopsy were reviewed. Five radiologists independently scored 138 lesions on native high b-value images (b = 1200 s/mm2), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps, and computed high b-value images (contrast equivalent to b = 2000 s/mm2) to compare their diagnostic accuracy. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and McNemar's test were performed to assess the relative performance of computed high b value DWI, native high b-value DWI and ADC maps. No significant difference existed in the area under the curve (AUC) for ROCs comparing B1200 (b = 1200 s/mm2) to computed B2000 (c-B2000) in 5 readers. In 4 of 5 readers c-B2000 had significantly increased sensitivity and/or decreased specificity compared to B1200 (McNemar's p < 0.05), at selected thresholds of interpretation. ADC maps were less accurate than B1200 or c-B2000 for 2 of 5 readers (P < 0.05). This study detected no consistent improvement in overall diagnostic accuracy using c-B2000, compared with B1200 images. Readers detected more cancer with c-B2000 images (increased sensitivity) but also more false positive findings (decreased specificity)

Search for new physics in semileptonic B-decays

Semileptonic decays provide an excellent environment for testing the Standard Model (SM). Violation of lepton universality would be a smoking gun for physics beyond the SM. Using semi-tauonic $B$ decays, LHCb finds a value of $\mathcal{R}(D^*) = \mathcal{B}(\bar{B}^0 \to D^{*+} \tau^{-} \bar{\nu}_{\tau})/\mathcal{B}(\bar{B}^0 \to D^{*+} \mu^{-} \bar{\nu}_{\mu}) = 0.336 \pm 0.027 \rm{(stat)} \pm 0.030 \rm{(syst)}$, which is 2.1 standard deviations larger than the value expected from the SM. Moreover, the measurement of the $CP$ asymmetry in mixing of $B_s^0$ mesons is highly sensitive to physics beyond the SM. This article presents the latest result on semileptonic asymmetries; using the full Run 1 dataset, it is found that $a_{\rm{sl}}^s = (0.39 \pm 0.26 \rm{(stat)} \pm 0.20 \rm{(syst)})\%$, which is consistent with the Standard Model.Comment: 6 pages, 8 figures, Contribution to the Proceedings of the 38th International Conference on High Energy Physics, ICHEP 2016, Chicago, IL, US

High performance magnetic field sensor based on Superconducting Quantum Interference Filters

We have developed an absolute magnetic field sensor using Superconducting Quantum Interference Filter (SQIF) made of high-T_c grain boundary Josephson junctions. The device shows the typical magnetic field dependent voltage response V(B), which is sharp delta-like dip in the vicinity of zero magnetic field. When the SQIF is cooled with magnetic shield, and then the shield is removed, the presence of the ambient magnetic field induces a shift of the dip position from B_0 ~ 0 to a value B ~ B_1, which is about the average value of the earth magnetic field, at our latitude. When the SQIF is cooled in the ambient field without shielding, the dip is first found at B ~ B_1, and the further shielding of the SQIF results in a shift of the dip towards B_0 ~ 0. The low hysteresis observed in the sequence of experiments (less than 5% of B_1) makes SQIFs suitable for high precision measurements of the absolute magnetic field. The experimental results are discussed in view of potential applications of high-T_c SQIFs in magnetometry.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure