21 research outputs found
Relation of adult lifestyle and socioeconomic factors to the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection
No full textINTRODUCTION: The influence of adult socioeconomic status, co-habitation, gender, smoking, coffee and alcohol intake on risk of Helicobacter pylori infection is uncertain. METHODS: Subjects between aged 40-49 years were randomly invited to attend their local primary care centre. Participants were interviewed by a researcher on smoking, coffee and alcohol intake, history of living with a partner, present and childhood socioeconomic conditions. Helicobacter pylori status was determined by 13C-urea breath test. RESULTS: In all, 32 929 subjects were invited, 8429 (26%) were eligible and 2327 (27.6%) were H. pylori positive. Helicobacter pylori infection was more common in men and this association remained after controlling for childhood and adult risk factors in a logistic regression model (odds ratio [OR] = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.03-1.29). Living with a partner was also an independent risk factor for infection (OR = 1.30; 95% CI: 1.01-1.67), particularly in partners of lower social class (social class IV and V-OR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.19-1.81, compared with social class I and II). Helicobacter pylori infection was more common in lower social class groups (I and II-22% infected, III-29% infected, IV and V-38% infected) and there was a significant increase in risk of infection in manual workers compared with non-manual workers after controlling for other risk factors (OR = 1.18; 95% CI: 1.03-1.34). Alcohol and coffee intake were not independent risk factors for infection and smoking was only a risk factor in those smoking >35 cigarettes a day. CONCLUSIONS: Male gender, living with a partner and poor adult socioeconomic conditions are associated with increased risk of H. pylori infection
Measurement of the CP-violating phase beta in B-0 -> J/psi pi(+)pi(-) decays and limits on penguin effects
No full textTime-dependent CP violation is measured in the (B-0) over bar -> J/psi pi(+)pi(-) p-channel for each pi(+)pi(-) resonant final state using data collected with an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1) in pp collisions using the LHCb detector. The final state with the largest rate, J/psi rho(0)(770), is used to measure the CP-violating angle 2 beta(eff) to be (41.7 +/- 9.6(-6.3)(+2.8)).. This result can be used to limit the size of penguin amplitude contributions to CPviolation measurements in, for example, (B-0) over bar -> J/psi pi(+)pi(-) decays. Assuming approximate SU(3) flavour symmetry and neglecting higher order diagrams, the shift in the CP-violating phase phi(s) limited to be within the interval [-1.05 degrees, + 1.18 degrees] at 95% confidence level. Changes to the limit due to SU(3) symmetry breaking effects are also discussed. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V
The Church of Christ in early Bernicia: forerunners and foundation
No full textA firmly multidlsciplinary approach starts from a theological definition of the Church as the Body of Christ, and Christians as empowered by the Holy Spirit, the possibility of miracle, and the reality of warfare with demons are taken seriously, and scholarly belief in them defended. They are made the subject of excursuses. Hagiographic writings are treated with cautious respect. Bernicia, land and people, and its relationship to its neighbours are considered. In a demographic excursus the view that Dark Age life-span was short is rebuffed. Part two discusses the life and mission of the Church in sub-Roman Britain. In our area evidence for this proves to be largely limited to the shadowy activities of Ninian and Kentigern, therefore further evidence of the status of the British church in the fifth and sixth centuries is sought in Patrick’s Confession and Gildas's De Excidlo Britɸmniae. A new model for the latter - the sermon of the protomartyr Stephen - is proposed; as is a new exegesis of D. E. B. c.69, which may have Implications for our understanding of the persistence of Pelagian beliefs. An excursus considers the significance of white stones in association with Christian burial. The origins of the mission of Augustine are considered briefly. Part three considers the mission of Paulinus in detail, in particular the reasons for its collapse; in contrasting it with the Celtic mission misslological principles are cited. A reappraisal of Paulinus's retreat, more favourable to him than that normally held, is reached by invoking wartime experience. The discipline of obstetrics is involved to advance the theory that /Ethelburh's delivery was premature; also earlier to re-examine the Herbert Ian account of Kentigern's conception, where the 'something contrary to sound doctrine' is identified, against the hitherto standard view, as the apparent approval, by Servanus, of extramarital coitus. The final establishment of the Church in Bernicia is seen as occurring principally as the result of Aidan's mission, but with valid contributions from the British and Roman traditions. That Simeon of Durham gave the credit for this foundation to Oswald is found Justifiable. A new genealogical tree of Oswy has been constructed, and maps have been provided
Optical gas sensing: a review
No full textThe detection and measurement of gas concentrations using the characteristic optical absorption of the gas species is important for both understanding and monitoring a variety of phenomena from industrial processes to environmental change. This study reviews the field, covering several individual gas detection techniques including non-dispersive infrared, spectrophotometry, tunable diode laser spectroscopy and photoacoustic spectroscopy. We present the basis for each technique, recent developments in methods and performance limitations. The technology available to support this field, in terms of key components such as light sources and gas cells, has advanced rapidly in recent years and we discuss these new developments. Finally, we present a performance comparison of different techniques, taking data reported over the preceding decade, and draw conclusions from this benchmarking
Search for B-c(+) decays to two charm mesons
No full textA search for decays of B-c(+) mesons to two charm mesons is performed for the first time using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1), collected by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. The decays considered are B-c(+)-> D-(s)(()*())(+) (D) over bar (()*()0) and Bc(+)-> D-(s)(()*D-)+(()*())(0), which are normalised to high-yield B+-> D-(s)(+)(D) over bar (0)decays. No evidence for a signal is found and limits are set on twelve B-c(+) decay modes. (C) 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V
Observation of the decay (B)over-bar(s)(0) -> psi(2S)K+pi(-)
No full textThe decay (B) over bar (0)(s) -> psi(2S)K+pi(-) is observed using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1) collected by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. The branching fraction relative to the B-0 -> psi(2S)K+pi(-) decay mode is measured to be B((B) over bar (0)(s) -> psi(2S)K+pi(-))/B(B-0 -> psi(2S)K+pi(-)) = 5.38 +/- 0.36 (stat) +/- 0.22 (syst) +/- 0.31 (f(s)/f(d)) %, where f(s)/f(d) indicates the uncertainty due to the ratio of probabilities for a b quark to hadronise into a B-s(0) or B-0 meson. Using an amplitude analysis, the fraction of decays proceeding via an intermediate K*(892)(0) meson is measured to be 0.645 +/- 0.049 (stat) +/- 0.049 (syst) and its longitudinal polarisation fraction is 0.524 +/- 0.056 (stat) +/- 0.029 (syst). The relative branching fraction for this component is determined to be B((B) over bar (0)(s) -> psi(2S)K*(892)(0))/B(B-0 -> psi(2S)K*(892)(0)) = 5.58 +/- 0.57 (stat) +/- 0.40 (syst) +/- 0.32 (f(s)/f(d)) %. In addition, the mass splitting between the B-s(0) and B-0 mesons is measured as M(B-s(0)) - M(B-0) = 87.45 +/- 0.44 (stat) +/- 0.09 (syst) MeV/c(2). (C) 2015 CERN for the benefit of the LHCb Collaboration. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY licens
B flavour tagging using charm decays at the LHCb experiment
No full textAn algorithm is described for tagging the flavour content at production of neutral B mesons in the LHCb experiment. The algorithm exploits the correlation of the flavour of a B meson with the charge of a reconstructed secondary charm hadron from the decay of the other b hadron produced in the proton-proton collision. Charm hadron candidates are identified in a number of fully or partially reconstructed Cabibbo-favoured decay modes. The algorithm is calibrated on the self-tagged decay modes B+ -> J/psi K+ and B-0 -> J/psi K*(0) using 3.0fb(-1) of data collected by the LHCb experiment at pp centre-of-mass energies of 7TeV and 8TeV. Its tagging power on these samples of B -> J/psi X decays is (0.30 +/- 0.01 +/- 0.01) %
Observation of the B0→ρ0ρ0 decay from an amplitude analysis of B0→(π+π−)(π+π−) decays
No full textProton-proton collision data recorded in 2011 and 2012 by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb(-1), are analysed to search for the charmless B-0 -> rho(0)rho(0) decay. More than 600 B-0 -> (pi(+)pi(-))(pi(+)pi(-)) signal decays are selected and used to perform an amplitude, analysis, under the assumption of no CP violation in the decay, from which the B-0 -> rho(0)rho(0) decay is observed for the first time with 7.1 standard deviations significance. The fraction of B-0 -> rho(0)rho(0) decays yielding a longitudinally polarised final state is measured to be f(L) = 0.745(-0.058)(+0.048)(stat) +/- 0.034(syst). The B-0 -> rho(0)rho(0) branching fraction, using the B-0 -> phi K*(892)(0) decay as reference, is also reported as B(B-0 -> rho(0)rho(0)) = (0.94 +/- 0.17(stat) +/- 0.09(syst) +/- 0.06(BF)) x 10(-6). (C) 2015 CERN for the benefit of the LHCb Collaboration. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY licens
LHCb detector performance
No full textThe LHCb detector is a forward spectrometer at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. The experiment is designed for precision measurements of CP violation and rare decays of beauty and charm hadrons. In this paper the performance of the various LHCb sub-detectors and the trigger system are described, using data taken from 2010 to 2012. It is shown that the design criteria of the experiment have been met. The excellent performance of the detector has allowed the LHCb collaboration to publish a wide range of physics results, demonstrating LHCb's unique role, both as a heavy flavour experiment and as a general purpose detector in the forward region
Identification of beauty and charm quark jets at LHCb
No full textIdentification of jets originating from beauty and charm quarks is important for measuring Standard Model processes and for searching for new physics. The performance of algorithms developed to select b- and c-quark jets is measured using data recorded by LHCb from proton-proton collisions at root s = 7TeV in 2011 and at root s = 8TeV in 2012. The efficiency for identifying a b (c) jet is about 65%(25%) with a probability for misidentifying a light-parton jet of 0.3% for jets with transverse momentum pT > 20GeV and pseudorapidity 2 : 2 < eta < 4.2. The dependence of the performance on the pT and eta of the jet is also measured
