Low-mass diffraction dissociation at the LHC ; role of the background

A dual model with a nonlinear proton Regge trajectory in the missing mass (M_X^2) channel is constructed. A background based on a direct-channel exotic trajectory, developed and applied earlier for the inclusive electron-proton cross section description in the nucleon resonance region, is used. The parameters of the model are determined from the extrapolations to earlier experiments. Predictions for the low-mass (2 < M_X^2 < 8GeV^2) diffraction dissociation cross sections at the LHC energies are given.

Biased diffusion in confined media: Test of the Fick-Jacobs approximation and validity criteria

We study biased, diffusive transport of Brownian particles through narrow, spatially periodic structures in which the motion is constrained in lateral directions. The problem is analyzed under the perspective of the Fick-Jacobs equation, which accounts for the effect of the lateral confinement by introducing an entropic barrier in a one-dimensional diffusion. The validity of this approximation, based on the assumption of an instantaneous equilibration of the particle distribution in the cross section of the structure, is analyzed by comparing the different time scales that characterize the problem. A validity criterion is established in terms of the shape of the structure and of the applied force. It is analytically corroborated and verified by numerical simulations that the critical value of the force up to which this description holds true scales as the square of the periodicity of the structure. The criterion can be visualized by means of a diagram representing the regions where the Fick-Jacobs description becomes inaccurate in terms of the scaled force versus the periodicity of the structure.

Effective squark/chargino/neutralino couplings: MadGraph implementation

We have included the effective description of squark interactions with charginos/neutralinos in the MadGraph MSSM model. This effective description includes the effective Yukawa couplings, and another logarithmic term which encodes the supersymmetry-breaking. We have performed an extensive test of our implementation analyzing the results of the partial decay widths of squarks into charginos and neutralinos obtained by using FeynArts/FormCalc programs and the new model file in MadGraph. We present results for the cross-section of top-squark production decaying into charginos and neutralinos.

Profile Following for Inspection of Underwater Structures

We present a seabed profile estimation and following method for close proximity inspection of 3D underwater structures using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The presented method is used to determine a path allowing the AUV to pass its sensors over all points of the target structure, which is known as coverage path planning. Our profile following method goes beyond traditional seabed following at a safe altitude and exploits hovering capabilities of recent AUV developments. A range sonar is used to incrementally construct a local probabilistic map representation of the environment and estimates of the local profile are obtained via linear regression. Two behavior-based controllers use these estimates to perform horizontal and vertical profile following. We build upon these tools to address coverage path planning for 3D underwater structures using a (potentially inaccurate) prior map and following cross-section profiles of the target structure. The feasibility of the proposed method is demonstrated using the GIRONA 500 AUV both in simulation using synthetic and real-world bathymetric data and in pool trials

V0 production in p+A collisions at √s = 41.6 GeV

Inclusive doubly differential cross sections d 2 σ pA /dx F   dp T 2 as a function of Feynman-x (x F ) and transverse momentum (p T ) for the production of K S 0 , Λ and Λ¯ in proton-nucleus interactions at 920 GeV are presented. The measurements were performed by HERA-B in the negative x F range (−0.12

The measurement of ice velocity, mass balance and thinning-rate on Johnsons Glacier, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

A network of twenty stakes was set up on Johnsons Glacier in order to determine its dynamics. During the austral summers from 1994-95 to 1997-98, we estimated surface velocities, mass balances and ice thickness variations. Horizontal velocity increased dow nstream from 1 m a- 1 near the ice divides to 40 m a- 1 near the ice terminus. The accumulation zone showed low accumulation rates (maximum of 0,6 m a- 1 (ice)), whereas in the lower part of the glacier, ablation rates were 4,3 m a- 1 (ice). Over the 3-year study period, both in the accumulation and ablation zones, we detected a reduction in the ice surface level ranging from 2 to 10 m from the annual ve rt ical velocities and ice-thinning data, the mass balance was obtained and compared with the mass balance field values, resulting in similar estimates. Flux values were calculated using cross-section data and horizontal velocities, and compared with the results obtained by means of mass balance and ice thinning data using the continuity equation. The two methods gave similar results.

Clinical management and burden of bipolar disorder: a multinational longitudinal study (WAVE-bd Study)

BACKGROUND: Studies in bipolar disorder (BD) to date are limited in their ability to provide a whole-disease perspective--their scope has generally been confined to a single disease phase and/or a specific treatment. Moreover, most clinical trials have focused on the manic phase of disease, and not on depression, which is associated with the greatest disease burden. There are few longitudinal studies covering both types of patients with BD (I and II) and the whole course of the disease, regardless of patients' symptomatology. Therefore, the Wide AmbispectiVE study of the clinical management and burden of Bipolar Disorder (WAVE-bd) (NCT01062607) aims to provide reliable information on the management of patients with BD in daily clinical practice. It also seeks to determine factors influencing clinical outcomes and resource use in relation to the management of BD. METHODS: WAVE-bd is a multinational, multicentre, non-interventional, longitudinal study. Approximately 3000 patients diagnosed with BD type I or II with at least one mood event in the preceding 12 months were recruited at centres in Austria, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Portugal, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine and Venezuela. Site selection methodology aimed to provide a balanced cross-section of patients cared for by different types of providers of medical aid (e.g. academic hospitals, private practices) in each country. Target recruitment percentages were derived either from scientific publications or from expert panels in each participating country. The minimum follow-up period will be 12 months, with a maximum of 27 months, taking into account the retrospective and the prospective parts of the study. Data on demographics, diagnosis, medical history, clinical management, clinical and functional outcomes (CGI-BP and FAST scales), adherence to treatment (DAI-10 scale and Medication Possession Ratio), quality of life (EQ-5D scale), healthcare resources, and caregiver burden (BAS scale) will be collected. Descriptive analysis with common statistics will be performed. DISCUSSION: This study will provide detailed descriptions of the management of BD in different countries, particularly in terms of clinical outcomes and resources used. Thus, it should provide psychiatrists with reliable and up-to-date information about those factors associated with different management patterns of BD. TRIAL REGISTRATION NO: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01062607.

Integrin-Specific Mechanoresponses to Compression and Extension Probed by Cylindrical Flat-Ended AFM Tips in Lung Cells

Cells from lung and other tissues are subjected to forces of opposing directions that are largely transmitted through integrin-mediated adhesions. How cells respond to force bidirectionality remains ill defined. To address this question, we nanofabricated flat-ended cylindrical Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) tips with ~1 µm2 cross-section area. Tips were uncoated or coated with either integrin-specific (RGD) or non-specific (RGE/BSA) molecules, brought into contact with lung epithelial cells or fibroblasts for 30 s to form focal adhesion precursors, and used to probe cell resistance to deformation in compression and extension. We found that cell resistance to compression was globally higher than to extension regardless of the tip coating. In contrast, both tip-cell adhesion strength and resistance to compression and extension were the highest when probed at integrin-specific adhesions. These integrin-specific mechanoresponses required an intact actin cytoskeleton, and were dependent on tyrosine phosphatases and Ca2+ signaling. Cell asymmetric mechanoresponse to compression and extension remained after 5 minutes of tip-cell adhesion, revealing that asymmetric resistance to force directionality is an intrinsic property of lung cells, as in most soft tissues. Our findings provide new insights on how lung cells probe the mechanochemical properties of the microenvironment, an important process for migration, repair and tissue homeostasis.

Momentum dependence of the phi-meson nuclear transparency

The production of φ mesons in proton collisions with C, Cu, Ag, and Au targets has been studied via the φ → K + K − decay at an incident beam energy of 2.83 GeV using the ANKE detector system at COSY. For the first time, the momentum dependence of the nuclear transparency ratio, the in-medium φ width, and the differential cross section for φ -meson production at forward angles have been determined for these targets over the momentum range of 0.6-1.6 GeV /c. There are indications of a significant momentum dependence in the value of the extracted φ width, which corresponds to an effective φN absorption cross section in the range of 14-21 mb.

Optimized dark matter searches in deep observations of Segue 1 with MAGIC

We present the results of stereoscopic observations of the satellite galaxy Segue 1 with the MAGIC Telescopes, carried out between 2011 and 2013. With almost 160 hours of good-quality data, this is the deepest observational campaign on any dwarf galaxy performed so far in the very high energy range of the electromagnetic spectrum. We search this large data sample for signals of dark matter particles in the mass range between 100 GeV and 20 TeV. For this we use the full likelihood analysis method, which provides optimal sensitivity to characteristic gamma-ray spectral features, like those expected from dark matter annihilation or decay. In particular, we focus our search on gamma-rays produced from different final state Standard Model particles, annihilation with internal bremsstrahlung, monochromatic lines and box-shaped signals. Our results represent the most stringent constraints to the annihilation cross-section or decay lifetime obtained from observations of satellite galaxies, for masses above few hundred GeV. In particular, our strongest limit (95% confidence level) corresponds to a ~ 500 GeV dark matter particle annihilating into τ+τ−, and is of order langleσannvrangle simeq 1.2 × 10−24 cm3 s−1 a factor ~ 40 above the langleσannvrangle simeq thermal value.

The farthest need the best. Human capital composition and development-specific economic growth

We provide robust and compelling evidence of the marked impact of tertiary education on the economic growth of less developed countries and of its the relatively smaller impact on the growth of developed ones. Our results argue in favor of the accumulation of high skill levels especially in technologically under-developed countries and, contrary to common wisdom, independently of the fact that these economies might initially produce lower-technology goods or perform technology imitation. Our results are robust to the different measures used in proxying human capital and to the adjustments made for cross-country differences in the quality of education. Country-specific institutional quality, as well as other indicators including legal origin, religious fractionalization and openness to trade have been used to control for the robustness of the results. These factors are also shown to speed up technology convergence thereby confirming previous empirical studies. Our estimates tackle problems of endogeneity by adopting a variety of techniques, including instrumental variables -for both panel and cross-section analyses- and the two-step efficient dynamics system GMM.

Economic and social convergence in Colombia

GDP has usually been used as a proxy for human well-being. Nevertheless, other social aspects should also be considered, such as life expectancy, infant mortality, educational enrolment and crime issues. With this paper we investigate not only economic convergence but also social convergence between regions in a developing country, Colombia, in the period 1975-2005. We consider several techniques in our analysis: sigma convergence, stochastic kernel estimations, and also several empirical models to find out the beta convergence parameter (cross section and panel estimates, with and without spatial dependence). The main results confirm that we can talk about convergence in Colombia in key social variables, although not in the classic economic variable, GDP per capita. We have also found that spatial autocorrelation reinforces convergence processes through deepening market and social factors, while isolation condemns regions to nonconvergence.

Contratación de la mano de obra y desempeño en los servicios intensivos en conocimiento: una visión del capital intelectual

Objeto: El desempeño de las actividades de servicios de alto valor añadido ofrecidospor las empresas manufactureras, de la misma forma que el de los servicios intensivosen conocimiento, puede verse afectado por las formas de contratación de la mano deobra utilizadas en ellas. Se estudia el impacto del uso de trabajo contingente (temporal y autónomo) sobre la productividad del trabajo en las empresas de servicios intensivos en conocimiento. Para desarrollar las hipótesis, se tiene en cuenta el impacto potencial del trabajo contingente sobre el capital intangible de la empresa, así como los resultados de la literatura empírica.Diseño/metodología: Se analizan los datos de una muestra de 279 empresas de servicios intensivos en conocimiento localizadas en Cataluña, mediante dos modelos de regresión lineal.Aportaciones y resultados: Los resultados muestran que el empleo de formas de trabajo contingentes, como el trabajo temporal y los trabajadores autónomos, tiene un impacto negativo en la productividad del trabajo. No existe, en cambio, una relación cuadrática entre estas variables. Limitaciones: La muestra utilizada procede exclusivamente de Cataluña (España), noes perfectamente extrapolable al conjunto de empresas de servicios intensivos enconocimiento y se obtuvo en la fase alcista del ciclo económico. El diseño del estudio estransversal. La clasificación de las empresas como intensivas en conocimiento esdicotómica, en función del sector al que pertenecen. Implicaciones prácticas:Las decisiones sobre la contratación de mano de obra en actividades de servicios de alto valor añadido deberían minimizar las formas de trabajocontingentes, si quieren mejorar su productividad.Implicaciones sociales: Un modelo productivo que pretenda potenciar los servicios de mayor valor añadido no puede descansar sobre la base de un mercado laboral en el que las empresas utilizan una elevada proporción de trabajo contingente en su mano de obra. Valor añadido: Este artículo ofrece nuevos datos para a la escasa literatura que relaciona el uso de trabajo contingente con la productividad en el sector de los servicios intensivos en conocimiento. La creciente importancia de los servicios de alto valor añadido, tanto en empresas de servicios como manufactureras, y el interés por conocer los determinantes de su productividad justifican la necesidad de realizar estudios como el que se presenta.

Panel Data Stochastic Convergence Analysis of the Mexican Regions

The stochastic convergence amongst Mexican Federal entities is analyzed in panel data framework. The joint consideration of cross-section dependence and multiple structural breaks is required to ensure that the statistical inference is based on statistics with good statistical properties. Once these features are accounted for, evidence in favour of stochastic convergence is found. Since stochastic convergence is a necessary, yet insufficient condition for convergence as predicted by economic growth models, the paper also investigates whether-convergence process has taken place. We found that the Mexican states have followed either heterogeneous convergence patterns or divergence process throughout the analyzed period.

Ecological fallacy in a time series context: evidence from the Spanish regional unemployment rates

The ecological fallacy (EF) is a common problem regional scientists have to deal with when using aggregated data in their analyses. Although there is a wide number of studies considering different aspects of this problem, little attention has been paid to the potential negative effects of the EF in a time series context. Using Spanish regional unemployment data, this paper shows that EF effects are not only observed at the cross-section level, but also in a time series framework. The empirical evidence obtained shows that analytical regional configurations are the least susceptible to time effects relative to both normative and random regional configurations, while normative configurations are an improvement over random ones.