Maize (Zea mays L.) is a crop of global importance, but prone to contamination by aflatoxins produced by fungi in the genus Aspergillus. The development of resistant germplasm and the identification ...of genes contributing to resistance would aid in the reduction of the problem with a minimal need for intervention by farmers. Chitinolytic enzymes respond to attack by potential pathogens and have been demonstrated to increase insect and fungal resistance in plants. Here, all chitinase genes in the maize genome were characterized via sequence diversity and expression patterns. Recent evolution within this gene family was noted. Markers from within each gene were developed and used to map the phenotypic effect on resistance of each gene in up to four QTL mapping populations and one association panel. Seven chitinase genes were identified that had alleles associated with increased resistance to aflatoxin accumulation and A. flavus infection in field grown maize. The chitinase in bin 1.05 identified a new and highly significant QTL, while chitinase genes in bins 2.04 and 5.03 fell directly beneath the peaks of previously published QTL. The expression patterns of these genes corroborate possible grain resistance mechanisms. Markers from within the gene sequences or very closely linked to them are presented to aid in the use of marker assisted selection to improve this trait.
Vertex locator (VELO) is a silicon microstrip detector situated around the interaction point in the large Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb) spectrometer at the Large Hadron Collider. The LHCb experiment ...is dedicated to studying charge conjugation and parity symmetry violation in the heavy flavor sector and rare decays of B mesons. The precise reconstruction of both the primary and secondary vertices, obtained by the VELO, is crucial in the selection of signal events containing b and c quarks and lifetime measurements. VELO consists of two retractable parts that operate at 8 mm from the interaction region. Its proximity to proton beams makes the LHCb VELO a place for studying radiation damage effects in silicon detectors in proton-proton and heavy-ion collisions. The latest results from radiation damage studies and their impact on the operation of the LHCb VELO after the first data-taking period (Run I) and the ongoing Run II are presented in this paper. The main macroscopic parameters, influenced by particle fluence, are described along with selected methods of their monitoring. All the results show that VELO sustains the impact of high fluence of radiation, and its performance will not change significantly until the end of Run II.
The production of J/ψ pairs in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV has been observed using an integrated luminosity of 37.5 pb−1 collected with the LHCb detector. The ...production cross-section for pairs with both J/ψ in the rapidity range 2<yJ/ψ<4.5 and transverse momentum pTJ/ψ<10 GeV/c isσJ/ψJ/ψ=5.1±1.0±1.1 nb, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic.
(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae and/or non-USASCII text omitted) Measurements of b hadron production ratios in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV with an integrated ...luminosity of 3 pb super(-1) are presented. We study the ratios of strange B meson to light B meson production functionof sub(s)/(functionof sub(u) + functionof sub(d)) and ... baryon to light B meson production functionof sub(Lambda)b/(functionof sub(u) + functionof sub(d)) as a function of the charmed hadron-muon pair transverse momentum p sub(T) and the b hadron pseudorapidity eta, for p sub(T) between 0 and 14 GeV and eta between 2 and 5. We find that functionof sub(s)/(functionof sub(u) + functionof sub(d)) is consistent with being independent of p sub(T) and eta, and we determine ..., where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. The corresponding ratio functionof sub(Lambda)b/(functionof sub(u) + functionof sub(d)) is found to be dependent upon the transverse momentum of the charmed hadron-muon pair, functionof sub(Lambda)b/(functionof sub(u) + functionof sub(d)) = (0.404 + or - 0.017(stat) + or - 0.027(syst) + or - 0.105(Br)), where Br reflects an absolute scale uncertainty due to the poorly x 1 - (0.031 + or - 0.004(stat) + or - 0.003(syst)) x p sub(T)(GeV) known branching fraction ... We extract the ratio of strange B meson to light neutral B meson production functionof sub(s)/functionof sub(d) by averaging the result eported here with two previous measurements derived from the relative abundances of ... to B super(0 arrow right )D super(+)K super(-) and B super(0) arrow right a D super(+)pi super(-). We obtain ...
The production of J/ψ mesons in proton–proton collisions at √s = 7 TeV is studied with the LHCb detector at the LHC. The differential cross-section for prompt J/ψ production is measured as a function ...of the J/ψ transverse
momentum pT and rapidity y in the fiducial region pT ∈ 0; 14 GeV/c and y ∈ 2.0; 4.5. The differential cross-section and fraction of J/ψ from b-hadron decays are also measured in the same pT and y ranges. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.2 pb−1. The measured cross-sections integrated over the fiducial region are 10.52 ± 0.04 ± 1.40+1.64 −2.20 µb for prompt J/ψ production and 1.14 ± 0.01 ± 0.16 µb for J/ψ from b-hadron decays, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The prompt J/ψ production cross-section is obtained assuming no J/ψ polarisation and the third error indicates the acceptance uncertainty due to this assumption.
Using pp collision data corresponding to 1.0 fb-1 integrated luminosity collected by the LHCb detector, two narrow states are observed in the Lambda_b0pi+pi- spectrum with masses 5911.95 +- ...0.12(stat) +- 0.03(syst) +- 0.66(Lambda_b0 mass) MeV/c^2 and 5919.76 +- 0.07(stat) +- 0.02(syst) +- 0.66(Lambda_b0 mass) MeV/c^2. The significances of the observations are 4.9 and 10.1 standard deviations, respectively. These states are interpreted as the orbitally-excited Lambda_b0 baryons, Lambda_b*0(5912) and Lambda_b*0(5920).
Decays of b hadrons into final states containing a D0 meson and a muon are used to measure the bb¯ production cross-section in proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV at the LHC. ...In the pseudorapidity interval 2<η<6 and integrated over all transverse momenta we find that the average cross-section to produce b-flavoured or b¯-flavoured hadrons is (75.3±5.4±13.0) μb.
The production of J/ψ mesons accompanied by open charm, and of pairs of open charm hadrons are observed in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV using an integrated luminosity of 355 pb−1 ...collected with the LHCb detector. Model independent measurements of absolute cross-sections are given together with ratios to the measured J/ψ and open charm cross-sections. The properties of these events are studied and compared to theoretical predictions.
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