| 1. |
- Abelev, Betty, et al.
(author)
-
Long-range angular correlations on the near and away side in p-Pb collisions at root S-NN=5.02 TeV
- 2013
-
In: Physics Letters. Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0370-2693. ; 719:1-3, s. 29-41
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Angular correlations between charged trigger and associated particles are measured by the ALICE detector in p-Pb collisions at a nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV for transverse momentum ranges within 0.5 < P-T,P-assoc < P-T,P-trig < 4 GeV/c. The correlations are measured over two units of pseudorapidity and full azimuthal angle in different intervals of event multiplicity, and expressed as associated yield per trigger particle. Two long-range ridge-like structures, one on the near side and one on the away side, are observed when the per-trigger yield obtained in low-multiplicity events is subtracted from the one in high-multiplicity events. The excess on the near-side is qualitatively similar to that recently reported by the CMS Collaboration, while the excess on the away-side is reported for the first time. The two-ridge structure projected onto azimuthal angle is quantified with the second and third Fourier coefficients as well as by near-side and away-side yields and widths. The yields on the near side and on the away side are equal within the uncertainties for all studied event multiplicity and p(T) bins, and the widths show no significant evolution with event multiplicity or p(T). These findings suggest that the near-side ridge is accompanied by an essentially identical away-side ridge. (c) 2013 CERN. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
|
|
| 2. |
- Abelev, Betty, et al.
(author)
-
Measurement of prompt J/psi and beauty hadron production cross sections at mid-rapidity in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV
- 2012
-
In: Journal of High Energy Physics. - 1029-8479. ; :11
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ALICE experiment at the LHC has studied J/psi production at mid-rapidity in pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV through its electron pair decay on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity L-int = 5.6 nb(-1). The fraction of J/psi from the decay of long-lived beauty hadrons was determined for J/psi candidates with transverse momentum p(t) > 1,3 GeV/c and rapidity vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9. The cross section for prompt J/psi mesons, i.e. directly produced J/psi and prompt decays of heavier charmonium states such as the psi(2S) and chi(c) resonances, is sigma(prompt J/psi) (p(t) > 1.3 GeV/c, vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9) = 8.3 +/- 0.8(stat.) +/- 1.1 (syst.)(-1.4)(+1.5) (syst. pol.) mu b. The cross section for the production of b-hadrons decaying to J/psi with p(t) > 1.3 GeV/c and vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9 is a sigma(J/psi <- hB) (p(t) > 1.3 GeV/c, vertical bar y vertical bar < 0.9) = 1.46 +/- 0.38 (stat.)(-0.32)(+0.26) (syst.) mu b. The results are compared to QCD model predictions. The shape of the p(t) and y distributions of b-quarks predicted by perturbative QCD model calculations are used to extrapolate the measured cross section to derive the b (b) over bar pair total cross section and d sigma/dy at mid-rapidity.
|
|
| 3. |
- Abelev, Betty, et al.
(author)
-
Underlying Event measurements in pp collisions at root s=0.9 and 7 TeV with the ALICE experiment at the LHC
- 2012
-
In: Journal of High Energy Physics. - 1029-8479. ; :7
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present measurements of Underlying Event observables in pp collisions at root s = 0 : 9 and 7 TeV. The analysis is performed as a function of the highest charged-particle transverse momentum p(T),L-T in the event. Different regions are defined with respect to the azimuthal direction of the leading (highest transverse momentum) track: Toward, Transverse and Away. The Toward and Away regions collect the fragmentation products of the hardest partonic interaction. The Transverse region is expected to be most sensitive to the Underlying Event activity. The study is performed with charged particles above three different p(T) thresholds: 0.15, 0.5 and 1.0 GeV/c. In the Transverse region we observe an increase in the multiplicity of a factor 2-3 between the lower and higher collision energies, depending on the track p(T) threshold considered. Data are compared to PYTHIA 6.4, PYTHIA 8.1 and PHOJET. On average, all models considered underestimate the multiplicity and summed p(T) in the Transverse region by about 10-30%.
|
|
| 4. |
- Beal, Jacob, et al.
(author)
-
Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density
- 2020
-
In: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data.
|
|
| 5. |
- Hudson, Lawrence N, et al.
(author)
-
The database of the PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems) project
- 2017
-
In: Ecology and Evolution. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2045-7758. ; 7:1, s. 145-188
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The PREDICTS project-Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)-has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used this evidence base to develop global and regional statistical models of how local biodiversity responds to these measures. We describe and make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
|
|
| 6. |
- Sutton, Mark A., et al.
(author)
-
Dynamics of ammonia exchange with cut grassland : Synthesis of results and conclusions of the GRAMINAE Integrated Experiment
- 2009
-
In: Biogeosciences. - Goettingen : Nicolaus Copernicus University Press. - 1726-4170 .- 1726-4189. ; 6:12, s. 2907-2934
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Improved data on biosphere-atmosphere exchange are fundamental to understanding the production and fate of ammonia (NH3) in the atmosphere. The GRAMINAE Integrated Experiment combined novel measurement and modelling approaches to provide the most comprehensive analysis of the interactions to date. Major intercomparisons of micrometeorological parameters and NH3 flux measurements using the aerodynamic gradient method and relaxed eddy accumulation (REA) were conducted. These showed close agreement, though the REA systems proved insufficiently precise to investigate vertical flux divergence. Grassland management had a large effect on fluxes: emissions increased after grass cutting (−50 to 700 ng m-2 s-1 NH3) and after N-fertilization (0 to 3800 ng m-2 s -1) compared with before the cut (−60 to 40 ng m-2 s -1). © Author(s) 2009.
|
|
| 7. |
- Alonso-Mori, Roberto, et al.
(author)
-
Energy-dispersive X-ray emission spectroscopy using an X-ray free-electron laser in a shot-by-shot mode
- 2012
-
In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 109:47, s. 19103-19107
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ultrabright femtosecond X-ray pulses provided by X-ray free-electron lasers open capabilities for studying the structure and dynamics of a wide variety of systems beyond what is possible with synchrotron sources. Recently, this probe-before-destroy approach has been demonstrated for atomic structure determination by serial X-ray diffraction of microcrystals. There has been the question whether a similar approach can be extended to probe the local electronic structure by X-ray spectroscopy. To address this, we have carried out femtosecond X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) at the Linac Coherent Light Source using redox-active Mn complexes. XES probes the charge and spin states as well as the ligand environment, critical for understanding the functional role of redox-active metal sites. K beta(1,3) XES spectra of Mn-II and Mn-2(III,IV) complexes at room temperature were collected using a wavelength dispersive spectrometer and femtosecond X-ray pulses with an individual dose of up to > 100 MGy. The spectra were found in agreement with undamaged spectra collected at low dose using synchrotron radiation. Our results demonstrate that the intact electronic structure of redox active transition metal compounds in different oxidation states can be characterized with this shot-by-shot method. This opens the door for studying the chemical dynamics of metal catalytic sites by following reactions under functional conditions. The technique can be combined with X-ray diffraction to simultaneously obtain the geometric structure of the overall protein and the local chemistry of active metal sites and is expected to prove valuable for understanding the mechanism of important metalloproteins, such as photosystem II.
|
|
| 8. |
- Aura, CM, et al.
(author)
-
A preliminary macroinvertebrate Index of Biotic Integrity for Bioassessment of the Kipkaren and Sosiani Rivers Nzoia River Basin, Kenya.
- 2010
-
In: Lakes & Reservoirs. - : Wiley. - 1320-5331 .- 1440-1770. ; 15:2, s. 119-128
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Management efforts for the Lake Victoria Basin have been hampered by a lack of clear standards against which to judge the degree of environmental degradation, highlighting the need for a multi-metric approach for this purpose. Indeed, management priorities for the Lake Victoria catchment must be based on reliable assessments of the biological integrity of the inflowing rivers that can potentially influence the ecological functioning of the lake. Accordingly, macroinvertebrate metrics were evaluated for their responsiveness to human impacts, utilizing Pearson’s correlations with physico-chemical parameters. The resultant 9 metrics that provided the best discrimination between physico-chemical samples, using the separation power of Mann–Whitney U and Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests (P < 0.05) from the 21 sampling sites utilized in this study were the: (i) abundances of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera; (ii) relative abundances of Diptera; (iii) Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera:Diptera ratio; (iv) Oligochaeta, Mollusca, Hemiptera, Odonata and the proportions of tolerance taxa; (v) dominant taxa; and (vi) the relative proportions of invertebrates that fall into the gatherer and predator feeding groups, based on the variability they exhibited across the sampling sites. Using the inter-quartile ranges to establish the scoring criteria, the index was able to delineate impacted from less-impacted sites along the rivers, providing preliminary evidence of responses to changes in the ecosystem integrity exhibited by resident macroinvertebrate assemblages in both rivers.
|
|
| 9. |
- Aura, Christopher, et al.
(author)
-
Macroinvertebrates’ community structure in Rivers Kipkaren and Sosiani, River Nzoia basin, Kenya
- 2011
-
In: Journal of Ecology and the Natural Environment. - : Academic Journals. - 2006-9847. ; 3:2, s. 39-46
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Benthic macroinvertebrates from Rivers Kipkaren and Sosiani in the upper reaches of River Nzoiabasin, Kenya, were sampled semi-quantitatively monthly from December 2006 to May 2007 using a0.5 mm mesh size scoop net in the riffles, pools and runs. Seven sampling sites were selected on theareas of the rivers along a longitudinal gradient in relation to anthropogenic impact. Physicochemicalparameters were measured in situ, while specific chemical parameters were determinedcalometrically in the laboratory using standard methods. Habitat and land use characteristics werealso recorded. A total of 1499 macroinvertebrates belonging to 13 orders, 28 families and 31 generawere collected. The orders Ephemeroptera, Hemiptera and Coleoptera were taxonomically richest.Overall, a total of 31 genera for River Kipkaren dominated by the EPT and 19 macroinvertebrategenera for the lower River Sosiani dominated by dipterans were recorded. Conductivity, oxygen andtotal nitrogen varied significantly (p < 0.05) between sampled sites, but not temporally. The results ofredundancy analysis using 9 dominant macroinvertebrate genera revealed a distinction betweenimpacted and the less impacted sites and the physico-chemical parameters associated with thisdistinction.
|
|
| 10. |
- Barnaby, Jonathan, 1965-, et al.
(author)
-
Sex specific survival in the southern anteater-chat Mymecocichla formicivora.
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Survival is a key factor behind life-history variation both between and within species. It is also a major influence on sociality in species which delay dispersal and live in family groups. Knowledge of differential survival rates between males and females and juveniles and adults give insights into the costs and benefits of different behavioural and life-history strategies. Here we investigate patterns of survival in a population of the southern anteater-chat (Myrmecocichla formicivora), a facultative cooperatively breeding passerine of southern Africa. Using data from a 9-year mark-capture-recapture study, we examined juvenile and adult sex related variation in survival, and the role of environmental variables (rainfall, temperature) for survival patterns in the population. Annual adult survival probability (mean ± SE) was 0.71 ± 0.03 for males and 0.60 ± 0.04 for females. Juvenile survival was lower for each sex, with juvenile female survival (0.36 ± 0.04) being 35% lower than juvenile male survival (0.55 ± 0.04). Using these estimates we calculated the mean life span (MLS) in years for male southern anteater-chat to be 4.0 ± 0.7, considerably higher than for females at 2.0 ± 0.4. These figures closely matched the population-age structure of the study area, and could explain the high male biased sex skew of adult birds in this population. Higher annual mean temperature was associated with higher survival, whereas higher annual rainfall was associated with lower survival for both sex and age classes. Female survival, particularly female juvenile survival, may be reduced due to prompt dispersal and longer dispersal distances, and the additional costs of breeding early in life. Differential survival can promote male philopatry and this in turn could well encourage the cooperative breeding we see in the southern anteater-chat.
|
|
