Nara Women's University

We report the observation of a narrow charmoniumlike state produced in the exclusive decay process ${B}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}J/\ensuremath{\psi}$. This state, which decays into ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}J/\ensuremath{\psi}$, has a mass of $3872.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.6\mathrm{(}\mathrm{s}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{)}\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5\mathrm{(}\mathrm{s}\mathrm{y}\mathrm{s}\mathrm{t}\mathrm{)}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{M}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}$, a value that is very near the ${M}_{{D}^{0}}+{M}_{{D}^{*0}}$ mass threshold. The results are based on an analysis of 152M $B$-$\overline{B}$ events collected at the $\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(4S)$ resonance in the Belle detector at the KEKB collider. The signal has a statistical significance that is in excess of $10\ensuremath{\sigma}$.

This article reports world averages of measurements of b-hadron, c-hadron, and tau-lepton properties obtained by the Heavy Flavor Averaging Group using results available through summer 2016. For the averaging, common input parameters used in the various analyses are adjusted (rescaled) to common values, and known correlations are taken into account. The averages include branching fractions, lifetimes, neutral meson mixing parameters, CP violation parameters, parameters of semileptonic decays, and Cabbibo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix elements.

An HPLC method for evaluation of the free radical-scavenging activity of foods by using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) is reported. The activity was evaluated by measuring the decrease of DPPH detected at 517 nm. By using this novel method, we determined the free radical-scavenging activity of several antioxidants: ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, Trolox, and cysteine. The results gave good correlation between the radical-scavenging activity determined by HPLC and by conventional colorimetry. This methodology was applied to determine the free radical-scavenging activity of 8 beverages. The activity of coffee was the highest, followed by red wine, green tea, oolong tea, black tea, rosé wine, white wine, and orange juice. The results well agree with those of previous reports. This method is expected to be useful for a simple and rapid determination of free radical-scavenging activity in colored foods, because coloring substances in foods do not interfere with the measurement.

Abstract When a species colonizes an area that it has not previously inhabited, it is called an "invasion", and it can result in the extinction of endemic species. The increase in numbers of humans travelling the world presents opportunities for invasions by organisms and the spread of diseases such as rabies and smallpox. Using the large amount of data from studies in pest control and epidemiology, it is possible to construct mathematical models that can predict which species will become invaders, which habitats are susceptible to invasion, and the biological impact. This book presents a clear and accessible introduction to the modeling of biological invasions. It demonstrates the latest theories and models, and includes data and examples from various case studies showing how these models can be applied to problems from deadly human diseases to the spread of weeds. The present book is based on an earlier one published in Japan (in Japanese) by one of the authors (N.S.), entitled Mathematical modeling for biological invasions (University of Tokyo Press, 1992); this English edition, however, results from the collaboration between two authors. The original Japanese edition is aimed primarily at university undergraduate and graduate students, and its purpose is to introduce to them some of the pioneering works in biological invasion as well as some mathematical models developed by the authors. Necessarily, discussions on many relevant theories, field data, and their references were curtailed in favor of conciseness. For this English edition, we have included more field data, updated some theoretical results according to the latest findings, and rewritten much of the text with a wider audience, including field researchers and scholars, in mind.

The cross section for ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ between 3.8 and 5.5 GeV is measured with a $967\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{fb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ data sample collected by the Belle detector at or near the $\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(nS)$ ($n=1,2,\dots{},5$) resonances. The $Y(4260)$ state is observed, and its resonance parameters are determined. In addition, an excess of ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ production around 4 GeV is observed. This feature can be described by a Breit-Wigner parametrization with properties that are consistent with the $Y(4008)$ state that was previously reported by Belle. In a study of $Y(4260)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}J/\ensuremath{\psi}$ decays, a structure is observed in the $M({\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}J/\ensuremath{\psi})$ mass spectrum with $5.2\ensuremath{\sigma}$ significance, with mass $M=(3894.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}6.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4.5)\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}/{c}^{2}$ and width $\ensuremath{\Gamma}=(63\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}24\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}26)\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}/{c}^{2}$, where the errors are statistical and systematic, respectively. This structure can be interpreted as a new charged charmoniumlike state.

We report a measurement of the branching fraction ratios $R({D}^{(*)})$ of $\overline{B}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{D}^{(*)}{\ensuremath{\tau}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\tau}}$ relative to $\overline{B}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{D}^{(*)}{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\ell}}$ (where $\ensuremath{\ell}=e$ or $\ensuremath{\mu}$) using the full Belle data sample of $772\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{6}B\overline{B}$ pairs collected at the $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Upsilon}}(4S)$ resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ collider. The measured values are $R(D)=0.375\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.064(\text{stat})\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.026(\text{syst})$ and $R({D}^{*})=0.293\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.038(\text{stat})\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.015(\text{syst})$. The analysis uses hadronic reconstruction of the tag-side $B$ meson and purely leptonic $\ensuremath{\tau}$ decays. The results are consistent with earlier measurements and do not show a significant deviation from the standard model prediction.

Going Multicellular The volvocine algae include both the unicellular Chlamydomonas and the multicellular Volvox , which diverged from one another 50 to 200 million years ago. Prochnik et al. (p. 223 ) compared the Volvox genome with that of Chlamydomonas to identify any genomic innovations that might have been associated with the transition to multicellularity. Size changes were observed in several protein families in Volvox , but, overall, the Volvox genome and predicted proteome were highly similar to those of Chlamydomonas . Thus, biological complexity can arise without major changes in genome content or protein domains.

We present a measurement of the standard model $\mathrm{CP}$ violation parameter $\mathrm{sin}2{\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{1}$ based on a $29.1{\mathrm{fb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ data sample collected at the $\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(4S)$ resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ collider. One neutral $B$ meson is fully reconstructed as a $J/\ensuremath{\psi}{K}_{S}$, $\ensuremath{\psi}(2S){K}_{S}$, ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{c1}{K}_{S}$, ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{c}{K}_{S}$, $J/\ensuremath{\psi}{K}_{L}$, or $J/\ensuremath{\psi}{K}^{*0}$ decay and the flavor of the accompanying $B$ meson is identified from its decay products. From the asymmetry in the distribution of the time intervals between the two $B$ meson decay points, we determine $\mathrm{sin}2{\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{1}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}0.99\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.14(\mathrm{stat})\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.06(\mathrm{syst})$. We conclude that we have observed $\mathrm{CP}$ violation in the neutral $B$ meson system.

We report the observation of two narrow structures in the mass spectra of the ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(nS)$ ($n=1$, 2, 3) and ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}{h}_{b}(mP)$ ($m=1$, 2) pairs that are produced in association with a single charged pion in $\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(5S)$ decays. The measured masses and widths of the two structures averaged over the five final states are ${M}_{1}=(10\text{ }607.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.0)\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}/{c}^{2}$, ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{1}=(18.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.4)\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}$, and ${M}_{2}=(10\text{ }652.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.5)\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}/{c}^{2}$, ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{2}=(11.5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.2)\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}$. The results are obtained with a $121.4\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{fb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ data sample collected with the Belle detector in the vicinity of the $\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(5S)$ resonance at the KEKB asymmetric-energy ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ collider.

In the original version of this manuscript, an error was introduced on pp352. '2.7nb:1.6nb' has been corrected to '2.4nb:1.3nb' in the current online and printed version. doi:10.1093/ptep/ptz106.

A distinct peak is observed in the ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\psi}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ invariant mass distribution near 4.43 GeV in $B\ensuremath{\rightarrow}K{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\psi}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ decays. A fit using a Breit-Wigner resonance shape yields a peak mass and width of $M=4433\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4(\mathrm{stat})\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2(\mathrm{syst})\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}$ and $\ensuremath{\Gamma}={45}_{\ensuremath{-}13}^{+18}(\mathrm{stat}{)}_{\ensuremath{-}13}^{+30}(\mathrm{syst})\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{MeV}$. The product branching fraction is determined to be $\mathcal{B}\mathbf{(}{B}^{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{K}^{\ensuremath{\mp}}{Z}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}(4430)\mathbf{)}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\mathcal{B}\mathbf{(}{Z}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}(4430)\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\psi}}^{\ensuremath{'}}\mathbf{)}=(4.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.0(\mathrm{stat})\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.4(\mathrm{syst}))\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$, where ${Z}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}(4430)$ is used to denote the observed structure. The statistical significance of the observed peak is $6.5\ensuremath{\sigma}$. These results are obtained from a $605\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{fb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ data sample that contains $657\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{6}$ $B\overline{B}$ pairs collected near the $\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(4S)$ resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric energy ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ collider.

Summary 1. All heavy metals, including those that are essential micronutrients (e.g. copper, zinc, etc.), are toxic to algae at high concentrations. 2. One characteristic feature of heavy‐metal toxicity is the poisoning and inactivation of enzyme systems. Many of the physiological and biochemical processes, viz., photosynthesis, respiration, protein synthesis and chlorophyll synthesis, etc., are severely affected at high metal concentrations. 3. Some algae inhabit waters chronically polluted with heavy‐metal‐laden wastes from mining and smelting operations; Nodularia sp., Oscillatoria sp., Cladophora sp., Hormidium sp., Fucus sp. and Laminaria sp., etc., occur in metal‐rich waters. These algal forms are probably more capable of combating the toxic levels of heavy metals and this attribute is a result of physiological and/or genetic adaptations. The sensitivity or tolerance to heavy metals varies amongst different algae. The phenomena of multiple tolerance and co‐tolerance may be exhibited by some algae. 4. Heavy‐metal pollution causes reduction in species diversity leading to the dominance of a few tolerant algal forms. The primary productivity also decreases after metal supplementation. 5. The uptake and accumulation of heavy metals can be active (energy‐dependent), passive (energy‐independent), or both. 6. Heavy metals can be safely stored as intranuclear complexes by some algae. Notwithstanding this, some changes in the cell wall can enable the algae to tolerate heavy metals by checking the entry of the metals (exclusion mechanism). 7. The metal content of algae growing in a waterbody may yield valuable information for simulating heavy metal pollution: several species of Cladophora and Fucus have been extensively used for this purpose. 8. Several factors affect and determine toxicity of heavy metals to algae. At low pH, the availability of heavy metals to algae is greatly increased, as a consequence of which pronounced toxicity is evident. Hard waters decrease metal toxicity. Some ions, e.g., calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, can alleviate toxicity of metals. 9. The presence of other metals can influence toxicity of a heavy metal through simple additive effect or by synergistic and antagonistic interactions. Similarly, other pollutants can influence heavy‐metal toxicity. 10. The toxicity of heavy metals depends upon their chemical speciation. Various ionic forms of a metal characterized by different valency states, may be differentially toxic to a test alga. 11. Amino acids, organic matter, humic acids, fulvic acid, EDTA, NTA, etc. can complex with heavy metals and render them unavailable. This may eventually lead to less toxicity. 12. Heavy‐metal toxicity largely depends upon algal population density: the denser the population the more numerous the cellular sites available, leading to decreased toxicity.

We report the first measurement of the $\ensuremath{\tau}$ lepton polarization ${P}_{\ensuremath{\tau}}({D}^{*})$ in the decay $\overline{B}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{D}^{*}{\ensuremath{\tau}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\tau}}$ as well as a new measurement of the ratio of the branching fractions $R({D}^{*})=\mathcal{B}(\overline{B}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{D}^{*}{\ensuremath{\tau}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\tau}})/\mathcal{B}(\overline{B}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{D}^{*}{\ensuremath{\ell}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}}_{\ensuremath{\ell}})$, where ${\ensuremath{\ell}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ denotes an electron or a muon, and the $\ensuremath{\tau}$ is reconstructed in the modes ${\ensuremath{\tau}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\ensuremath{\tau}}$ and ${\ensuremath{\tau}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\rho}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\ensuremath{\tau}}$. We use the full data sample of $772\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1{0}^{6}\text{ }\text{ }B\overline{B}$ pairs recorded with the Belle detector at the KEKB electron-positron collider. Our results, ${P}_{\ensuremath{\tau}}({D}^{*})=\ensuremath{-}0.38\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.51{(\text{stat})}_{\ensuremath{-}0.16}^{+0.21}(\text{syst})$ and $R({D}^{*})=0.270\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.035{(\text{stat})}_{\ensuremath{-}0.025}^{+0.028}(\text{syst})$, are consistent with the theoretical predictions of the standard model.

Recent data on biological invasion show that range expansion is driven by various modes of dispersal such as neighborhood diffusion and long-distance dispersal that occur side by side within a species. In such a stratified dispersal process, the initial range expansion mainly occurs by neighborhood diffusion. However, as the range of the founder population expands, new colonies created by long-distance migrants increase in number to cause an accelerating range expansion in the later phase. We classify several well-documented examples of geographical expansions into three major types depending on the nonlinearity of the range-versus-time curve. To examine how long-distance dispersal produces accelerating range expansion, we construct a stratified diffusion model, which describes the dynamics of the size distribution of colonies created by long-distance migrants. The model consists of a von Foerster equation combined with a Skellam model. Analyzing the model provides an estimate of range expansion in terms of the rate of expansion due to neighborhood diffusion, the leap distance, and the colonization rate of long-distance migrants. The results explain various types of nonlinear range expansion observed in biological invasions.

BACKGROUND: In western populations, coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes; however, the effect of green, black, and oolong teas is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between consumption of these beverages and risk for diabetes. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: 25 communities across Japan. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 17,413 persons (6727 men and 10,686 women; 49% of the original study population) who were 40 to 65 years of age; had no history of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer at the baseline lifestyle survey; and completed the 5-year follow-up questionnaire. There was no difference in body mass index levels at baseline between respondents and nonrespondents. MEASUREMENTS: Questionnaire on consumption of coffee; black, green, and oolong teas; and physician-diagnosed diabetes. RESULTS: During the 5-year follow-up, there were 444 self-reported new cases of diabetes in 231 men and 213 women (5-year event rates, 3.4% and 2.0%, respectively). Consumption of green tea and coffee was inversely associated with risk for diabetes after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and other risk factors. Multivariable odds ratios for diabetes among participants who frequently drank green tea and coffee (> or =6 cups of green tea per day and > or =3 cups of coffee per day) were 0.67 (95% CI, 0.47 to 0.94) and 0.58 (CI, 0.37 to 0.90), respectively, compared with those who drank less than 1 cup per week. No association was found between consumption of black or oolong teas and the risk for diabetes. Total caffeine intake from these beverages was associated with a 33% reduced risk for diabetes. These inverse associations were more pronounced in women and in overweight men. LIMITATIONS: Diabetes was self-reported, no data were available on consumption of soda, and the follow-up rate was low. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of green tea, coffee, and total caffeine was associated with a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes.

Abstract The Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) is scheduled for launch in February 2020 to monitor air quality (AQ) at an unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution from a geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) for the first time. With the development of UV–visible spectrometers at sub-nm spectral resolution and sophisticated retrieval algorithms, estimates of the column amounts of atmospheric pollutants (O 3 , NO 2 , SO 2 , HCHO, CHOCHO, and aerosols) can be obtained. To date, all the UV–visible satellite missions monitoring air quality have been in low Earth orbit (LEO), allowing one to two observations per day. With UV–visible instruments on GEO platforms, the diurnal variations of these pollutants can now be determined. Details of the GEMS mission are presented, including instrumentation, scientific algorithms, predicted performance, and applications for air quality forecasts through data assimilation. GEMS will be on board the Geostationary Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite 2 (GEO-KOMPSAT-2) satellite series, which also hosts the Advanced Meteorological Imager (AMI) and Geostationary Ocean Color Imager 2 (GOCI-2). These three instruments will provide synergistic science products to better understand air quality, meteorology, the long-range transport of air pollutants, emission source distributions, and chemical processes. Faster sampling rates at higher spatial resolution will increase the probability of finding cloud-free pixels, leading to more observations of aerosols and trace gases than is possible from LEO. GEMS will be joined by NASA’s Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) and ESA’s Sentinel-4 to form a GEO AQ satellite constellation in early 2020s, coordinated by the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS).

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Abstract This paper reports world averages of measurements of b -hadron, c -hadron, and $$\tau $$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>τ</mml:mi> </mml:math> -lepton properties obtained by the Heavy Flavour Averaging Group using results available through September 2018. In rare cases, significant results obtained several months later are also used. For the averaging, common input parameters used in the various analyses are adjusted (rescaled) to common values, and known correlations are taken into account. The averages include branching fractions, lifetimes, neutral meson mixing parameters, $$C\!P$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>C</mml:mi> <mml:mspace/> <mml:mi>P</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> violation parameters, parameters of semileptonic decays, and Cabibbo–Kobayashi–Maskawa matrix elements.

The B meson decay modes B-->Dpp; and B-->D(*)pp; have been studied using 29.4 fb(-1) of data collected with the Belle detector at KEKB. The B;(0)-->D(0)pp; and B;(0)-->D(*0)pp; decays have been observed for the first time with branching fractions B(B;(0)-->D(0)pp;)=(1.18+/-0.15+/-0.16)x10(-4) and B(B;(0)-->D(*0)pp;)=(1.20(+0.33)(-0.29)+/-0.21)x10(-4). No signal has been found for the B+-->D(+)pp; and B+-->D(*+)pp; decay modes, and the corresponding upper limits at 90% C.L. are presented.

Abstract We apply a recently developed method, the multicanonical algorithm, to the problem of tertiary structure prediction of peptides and proteins. As a simple example to test the effectiveness of the algorithm, metenkephalin is studied and the ergodicity problem, or multiple‐minima problem, is shown to be overcome by this algorithm. The lowest‐energy conformation obtained agrees with that determined by other efficient methods such as Monte Carlo simulated annealing. The superiority of the present method to simulated annealing lies in the fact that the relationship to the canonical ensemble remains exactly controlled. Once the multicanonical parameters are determined, only one simulation run is necessary to obtain the lowest‐energy conformation and further the results of this one run can be used to calculate various thermodynamic quantities at any temperature. The latter point is demonstrated by the calculation of the average potential energy and specific heat as functions of temperature. © John Wiley &amp; Sons, Inc.