The standard model of particle physics currently provides our best description of fundamental particles and their interactions. The theory predicts that the different charged leptons, the electron, muon and tau, have identical electroweak interaction strengths. Previous measurements have shown that a wide range of particle decays are consistent with this principle of lepton universality. This article presents evidence for the breaking of lepton universality in beauty-quark decays, with a significance of 3.1 standard deviations, based on proton–proton collision data collected with the LHCb detector at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. The measurements are of processes in which a beauty meson transforms into a strange meson with the emission of either an electron and a positron, or a muon and an antimuon. If confirmed by future measurements, this violation of lepton universality would imply physics beyond the standard model, such as a new fundamental interaction between quarks and leptons. The Large Hadron Collider beauty collaboration reports a test of lepton flavour universality in decays of bottom mesons into strange mesons and a charged lepton pair, finding evidence of a violation of this principle postulated in the standard model.
A precise measurement of the proton flux in primary cosmic rays with rigidity (momentum/charge) from 1 GV to 1.8 TV is presented based on 300 million events. Knowledge of the rigidity dependence of the proton flux is important in understanding the origin, acceleration, and propagation of cosmic rays. We present the detailed variation with rigidity of the flux spectral index for the first time. The spectral index progressively hardens at high rigidities.
Annette Michalski, Eugen Damoc, J. Hauschild
et al.
Mass spectrometry-based proteomics has greatly benefitted from enormous advances in high resolution instrumentation in recent years. In particular, the combination of a linear ion trap with the Orbitrap analyzer has proven to be a popular instrument configuration. Complementing this hybrid trap-trap instrument, as well as the standalone Orbitrap analyzer termed Exactive, we here present coupling of a quadrupole mass filter to an Orbitrap analyzer. This “Q Exactive” instrument features high ion currents because of an S-lens, and fast high-energy collision-induced dissociation peptide fragmentation because of parallel filling and detection modes. The image current from the detector is processed by an “enhanced Fourier Transformation” algorithm, doubling mass spectrometric resolution. Together with almost instantaneous isolation and fragmentation, the instrument achieves overall cycle times of 1 s for a top10 higher energy collisional dissociation method. More than 2500 proteins can be identified in standard 90-min gradients of tryptic digests of mammalian cell lysate— a significant improvement over previous Orbitrap mass spectrometers. Furthermore, the quadrupole Orbitrap analyzer combination enables multiplexed operation at the MS and tandem MS levels. This is demonstrated in a multiplexed single ion monitoring mode, in which the quadrupole rapidly switches among different narrow mass ranges that are analyzed in a single composite MS spectrum. Similarly, the quadrupole allows fragmentation of different precursor masses in rapid succession, followed by joint analysis of the higher energy collisional dissociation fragment ions in the Orbitrap analyzer. High performance in a robust benchtop format together with the ability to perform complex multiplexed scan modes make the Q Exactive an exciting new instrument for the proteomics and general analytical communities.
There has recently been a dramatic renewal of interest in hadron spectroscopy and charm physics. This renaissance has been driven in part by the discovery of a plethora of charmonium-like XYZ states at BESIII and B factories, and the observation of an intriguing proton-antiproton threshold enhancement and the possibly related X(1835) meson state at BESIII, as well as the threshold measurements of charm mesons and charm baryons. We present a detailed survey of the important topics in tau-charm physics and hadron physics that can be further explored at BESIII during the remaining operation period of BEPCII. This survey will help in the optimization of the data-taking plan over the coming years, and provides physics motivation for the possible upgrade of BEPCII to higher luminosity.
Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) maps are now at the point where resolvability of individual atoms can be achieved. However, resolvability is not necessarily uniform throughout the map. We introduce a quantitative parameter to characterize the resolvability of individual atoms in cryo-EM maps, the map Q -score. Q -scores can be calculated for atoms in proteins, nucleic acids, water, ligands and other solvent atoms, using models fitted to or derived from cryo-EM maps. Q -scores can also be averaged to represent larger features such as entire residues and nucleotides. Averaged over entire models, Q -scores correlate very well with the estimated resolution of cryo-EM maps for both protein and RNA. Assuming the models they are calculated from are well fitted to the map, Q -scores can be used as a measure of resolvability in cryo-EM maps at various scales, from entire macromolecules down to individual atoms. Q -score analysis of multiple cryo-EM maps of the same proteins derived from different laboratories confirms the reproducibility of structural features from side chains down to water and ion atoms. Q -scores provide a quantitative metric for resolvability in cryo-EM maps, and can be used at the atom, residue or macromolecule scale.
We consider f(Q) extended symmetric teleparallel cosmologies, where Q is the non-metricity scalar, and constrain its functional form through the order reduction method. By using this technique, we are able to reduce and integrate the field equations and thus to select the corresponding models giving rise to bouncing cosmology. The selected Lagrangian is then used to develop the Hamiltonian formalism and to obtain the Wave Function of the Universe which suggests that classical observable universes can be recovered according to the Hartle Criterion.
We investigate the impact on cosmological observables of $f(Q)$-gravity, a specific class of modified gravity models in which gravity is described by the nonmetricity scalar, $Q$. In particular we focus on a specific model which is indistinguishable from the $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}$-cold-dark-matter ($\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{CDM}$) model at the background level, while showing peculiar and measurable signatures at linear perturbation level. These are attributed to a time-dependent Planck mass and are regulated by a single dimensionless parameter, $\ensuremath{\alpha}$. In comparison to the $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}\mathrm{CDM}$ model, we find for positive values of $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ a suppressed matter power spectrum and lensing effect on the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) angular power spectrum and an enhanced integrated-Sachs-Wolfe tail of CMB temperature anisotropies. The opposite behaviors are present when the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ parameter is negative. We also investigate the modified gravitational waves (GWs) propagation and show the prediction of the GWs luminosity distance compared to the standard electromagnetic one. Finally, we infer the accuracy on the free parameter of the model with standard sirens at future GWs detectors.
This study was carried out to determine the hyperglycemic effect of diets prepared with different particle sizes of composite flour from Maize (Zea mays), Wheat (Triticum aestivum) and African breadfruit (Treculia africana) on adult diabetic albino rats (Rattus norvegcus). The samples were milled into different particle flour sizes and used to prepare three different sets of diets (diet A, diet B, and diet C). Diet A represents the fine particle size composite flour, diet B represents medium particle size composite flour, while diet C represents coarse particle size composite flour. The broiler finisher, which serves as the control represents diet D. Sixteen rats were used in this experiment and separated into four groups of four rats each (three experimental groups and one control group). The experimental groups were injected with alloxan to induce diabetes, while the control group was injected with saline solution. Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 were fed with diets A, B, C and D respectively and their fasting blood glucose level were determined at intervals for a period of twenty-one days. Group 3 had the lowest blood glucose level range (80 to 100 mg/dL) more than diets A and B which has blood glucose level range of 82 to 109 mg/dL and 103 to 124 mg/dL respectively. This is an indication that the particle size of diet C is the best in the management of diabetes among the other diets. Therefore, the particle size of diet C is more effective in the management of diabetes than that of diets A and B. However, the three diets were able to reduce the blood glucose level to normal.
Agri-environmental climate measures (AECM) are considered a promising tool to achieve environmental policy goals. Not only farmers but also policy administrators and intermediaries are important actors whose attitudes and actions drive the success of these measures. To follow the idea of better stakeholder participation in the design of policy instruments, we analyse stakeholder viewpoints on the contract design of AECM. We apply Q methodology with 25 individuals from Brandenburg, Germany, who are from the farmer, policy administrator and intermediary domains. We identify three distinct attitudinal profiles, the “planners”, the “cooperators” and the “individualists”, which do not correspond to the three individual stakeholder groups. The results provide evidence that general differences in the viewpoints of policy designers and implementers on the one hand and farmers on the other hand are not a source of potential institutional mismatch. We further use the attitudinal profiles to develop three types of policy programmes with slightly different underlying rationalities. Policymakers could use such an approach to better develop target group-specific (sub)programmes in parallel. Our research strengthens the argument that multiple stakeholders should be involved in co-designing conservation measures. Moreover, behavioural factors should be considered in policy making processes.
Soybean is one of the third most essential crops after rice and maize, whose production still needs to be increased. One of the efforts to utilize less fertile land is using organic fertilizers in goat manure and Bio-Growth. This study aimed to obtain the best dose of goat manure and Bio-Growth for soybean growth and yield. This research has been carried out at the experimental garden of the Kubang Research and Assessment of Agricultural Technology (BPTP) Balitbangtan Riau from August to November 2021. The method is practical with a factorial Randomized Block Design (RBD) consisting of 2 factorials with 3 replications. The first factor is goat manure (K0: 0 tons/ha, K1: 10 tons/ha, and K2: 20 tons/ha); the second factor is Bio-Growth (B0: 0 ml/4 l water, B1: 72.5 ml/4 l water, B2: 145 ml/4 l water, and B3: 217.5 ml/4 l water). The height of the plant, the number of its leaves, the diameter of its stem, the number of its branches, the number of pods produced by each plant, the weight of pods produced by each plant, the total weight of pods, and the weight of one hundred seeds were all measured. The application of goat manure and Bio-Growth influenced the height of the plant, the number of leaves, the number of pods produced by each plant, the weight of each pod, the total weight of the pods, and the weight of one hundred seeds. It was determined that the interaction between the two treatments did not impact all experimental parameters. This study concludes that the best application of goat manure is 10 tons/ha, while the most efficient Bio-Growth dose of 72.5 ml/4 l of water can increase the growth and yield of organic soybeans.