Search for a very light CP-odd Higgs boson in top quark decays from pp collisions at sqrt(s)]=1.96 TeV

We present the results of a search for a very light CP-odd Higgs boson a(1)(0) originating from top quark decays t → H(±)b → W(±(*)) a(1)(0)b, and subsequently decaying into τ+ τ-. Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.7 fb(-1) collected by the CDF II detector in pp collisions at 1.96 TeV, we perform a search for events containing a lepton, three or more jets, and an additional isolated track with transverse momentum in the range 3 to 20 GeV/c. Observed events are consistent with background sources, and 95% C.L. limits are set on the branching ratio of t → H(±)b for various masses of H(±) and a(1)(0).     

Invariant mass distribution of jet pairs produced in association with a W boson in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=1.96 TeV

We report a study of the invariant mass distribution of jet pairs produced in association with a W boson using data collected with the CDF detector which correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.3 fb(-1). The observed distribution has an excess in the 120-160 GeV/c(2) mass range which is not described by current theoretical predictions within the statistical and systematic uncertainties. In this Letter, we report studies of the properties of this excess.     

Solvent and surfactant effect on the self-assembly and luminescence properties of ZrO2:Eu3+ nanoparticles

ZrO₂:Eu³⁺ nanocrystals ranging from 17 to 43 nm were prepared by the facile precipitation method with a hydrothermal process. The crystallite size was strongly influenced by the solvent composition and enhanced with the presence of surfactant. The use of ethanol combined with surfactant stabilizes 50 wt% of the monoclinic phase, while the use of water only results in 100 wt% tetragonal phase. 80% of nanobelts were obtained preparing the sample with ethanol and surfactant as a results of the self-assembly of nanoparticles. The photoluminescence emission peak centered at 606 nm dominates the emission band for nanobelts, while for nanoparticles it is dominated by a peak centered at 612 nm. Such differences were explained in terms of the site symmetry occupying Eu³⁺ in the host that in turn depends on the crystalline phase. Changes in the intensity ratio I(612 nm)/I(606 nm) is proposed as a tool to analyzing changes in the monoclinic/tetragonal phase composition. The calculated asymmetry ratio R=⁷F₂/⁷F₁～1.2 suggest a high degree of crystallinity of the prepared samples.     

Ultrasonic study of wheat flour properties

In this work, the wheat flour properties are investigated using ultrasound techniques. Moreover, the flour samples were also characterized by means of well established techniques such as protein content, Alveograph and Mixolab®. A set of 35 dough samples, made of wheat flours with diverse physical and quality properties, were studied. The obtained results shown that ultrasound measurements can detect changes in the dough consistency induced by proteins and also by gelatinization of the starch. Furthermore, ultrasound measurements can be related to parameters indicative of the proteolytic degradation or softening of the dough due to protease activity. Thus, ultrasound can be considered a low cost and rapid tool, complementary to conventional test, for wheat flour characterization.     

Combination of Raman, Infrared, and X-Ray Energy-Dispersion Spectroscopies and X-Ray Diffraction to Study a Fossilization Process

X-ray diffraction was combined with X-ray energy-dispersion, Fourier-transform infrared, and Raman spectroscopies to study the fossilization of a Cretaceous specimen of the plant Brachyphyllum castilhoi, a fossil from the Ipubi Formation, in the Araripe Sedimentary Basin, Northeastern Brazil. Among the possible fossilization processes, which could involve pyrite, silicon oxide, calcium oxide, or other minerals, we were able to single out pyritization as the central mechanism producing the fossil, more than 100 million years ago. In addition to expanding the knowledge of the Ipubi Formation, this study shows that, when combined with other experimental techniques, Raman spectroscopy is a valuable tool at the paleontologist’s disposal.     

Risk models for the Prize Collecting Steiner Tree problems with interval data

Given a connected graph G=(V,E)with a nonnegative cost on each edge in E,a nonnegative prize at each vertex in V,and a target set V′V,the Prize Collecting Steiner Tree(PCST)problem is to find a tree T in G interconnecting all vertices of V′such that the total cost on edges in T minus the total prize at vertices in T is minimized.The PCST problem appears frequently in practice of operations research.While the problem is NP-hard in general,it is polynomial-time solvable when graphs G are restricted to series-parallel graphs.In this paper,we study the PCST problem with interval costs and prizes,where edge e could be included in T by paying cost xe∈[c e,c+e]while taking risk(c+e xe)/(c+e c e)of malfunction at e,and vertex v could be asked for giving a prize yv∈[p v,p+v]for its inclusion in T while taking risk(yv p v)/(p+v p v)of refusal by v.We establish two risk models for the PCST problem with interval data.Under given budget upper bound on constructing tree T,one model aims at minimizing the maximum risk over edges and vertices in T and the other aims at minimizing the sum of risks over edges and vertices in T.We propose strongly polynomial-time algorithms solving these problems on series-parallel graphs to optimality.Our study shows that the risk models proposed have advantages over the existing robust optimization model,which often yields NP-hard problems even if the original optimization problems are polynomial-time solvable.     

On the volume of the convex hull of two convex bodies

In this note we examine the volume of the convex hull of two congruent copies of a convex body in Euclidean $n$ -space, under some subsets of the isometry group of the space. We prove inequalities for this volume if the two bodies are translates, or reflected copies of each other about a common point or a hyperplane containing it. In particular, we give a proof of a related conjecture of Rogers and Shephard.     

Commutative orders revisited

This article studies commutative orders, that is, commutative semigroups having a semigroup of quotients. In a commutative order \(S\) , the square-cancellable elements \(\mathcal {S}(S)\) constitute a well-behaved separable subsemigroup. Indeed, \(\mathcal {S}(S)\) is also an order and has a maximum semigroup of quotients \(R\) , which is Clifford. We present a new characterisation of commutative orders in terms of semilattice decompositions of \(\mathcal {S}(S)\) and families of ideals of \(S\) . We investigate the role of tensor products in constructing quotients, and show that all semigroups of quotients of \(S\) are homomorphic images of the tensor product \(R\otimes _{\mathcal {S}(S)} S\) . By introducing the notions of generalised order and semigroup of generalised quotients, we show that if \(S\) has a semigroup of generalised quotients, then it has a greatest one. For this we determine those semilattice congruences on \(\mathcal {S}(S)\) that are restrictions of congruences on \(S\) .     

Yetter–Drinfeld Modules over Weak Braided Hopf Monoids and Center Categories

In this paper,we introduce several centralizer constructions in a monoidal context and establish a monoidal equivalence with the category of Yetter–Drinfeld modules over a weak braided Hopf monoid.We apply the general result to the calculus of the center in module categories.     

Usefulness of Transgenic Luminescent Bacteria in Direct Bioautographic Investigation of Chamomile Extracts

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - Direct bioautography performed with luminescence gene-tagged bacteria enables almost real-time detection of antimicrobial compounds...