Proceedings of the Washington State Bar Association.

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Proceedings of the ... annual meeting.

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Performance and physiological responses of combined t-bar and PIT tagged giant mud crabs (Scylla serrata)

Mud crabs (Scylla spp.) are intensively caught throughout South-East Asia and support a very substantial commercial, recreational fishing and aquaculture industry. Identification of individual animals is important to improve understanding and management of this species. However, tagging of crustaceans is difficult as they frequently molt and internal tags can pose a hazard to consumers. In this pilot study we tested a new method combining passive integrated transponder tags and t-bar tags externally. 45 giant mud crabs (Scylla serrata) were captured from the wild and kept in tanks for a maximum of 10 months. We inserted tags into the abdomen of 35 giant mud crabs and tested a modified method where the combined t-bar/PIT-tag was inserted into the muscle tissue of the rear leg between the dorsal carapace plate and the top of the abdominal flap. Tagged crabs with the modified method showed 85% tag retention for molting crabs. We tested the same method in the field where 852 individuals were tagged with combined t-bar/PIT-tags of which 82 were recaptured showing 100% tag retention but without any evidence of molting having occurred. The tested method of combined t-bar/PIT-tags in giant mud crabs can further improve monitoring for wild and aquaculture populations and can be deployed widely with low cost.

Performance and physiological responses of combined t-bar and PIT tagged giant mud crabs (Scylla serrata)

Mud crabs (Scylla spp.) are intensively caught throughout South-East Asia and support a very substantial commercial, recreational fishing and aquaculture industry. Identification of individual animals is important to improve understanding and management of this species. However, tagging of crustaceans is difficult as they frequently molt and internal tags can pose a hazard to consumers. In this pilot study we tested a new method combining passive integrated transponder tags and t-bar tags externally. 45 giant mud crabs (Scylla serrata) were captured from the wild and kept in tanks for a maximum of 10 months. We inserted tags into the abdomen of 35 giant mud crabs and tested a modified method where the combined t-bar/PIT-tag was inserted into the muscle tissue of the rear leg between the dorsal carapace plate and the top of the abdominal flap. Tagged crabs with the modified method showed 85% tag retention for molting crabs. We tested the same method in the field where 852 individuals were tagged with combined t-bar/PIT-tags of which 82 were recaptured showing 100% tag retention but without any evidence of molting having occurred. The tested method of combined t-bar/PIT-tags in giant mud crabs can further improve monitoring for wild and aquaculture populations and can be deployed widely with low cost.

Search for a Fermiophobic Higgs Boson Decaying into Diphotons in p p-bar Collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV

A search for a narrow diphoton mass resonance is presented based on data from 3.0 fb^{-1} of integrated luminosity from p-bar p collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV collected by the CDF experiment. No evidence of a resonance in the diphoton mass spectrum is observed, and upper limits are set on the cross section times branching fraction of the resonant state as a function of Higgs boson mass. The resulting limits exclude Higgs bosons with masses below 106 GeV at a 95% Bayesian credibility level (C.L.) for one fermiophobic benchmark model.

On measurement of top polarization as a probe of t(t)over-bar production mechanisms at the LHC

In this note we demonstrate the use of top polarization in the study of t (t) over bar resonances at the LHC, in the possible case where the dynamics implies a non-zero top polarization. As a probe of top polarization we construct an asymmetry in the decay-lepton azimuthal angle distribution (corresponding to the sign of cos phi(l)) in the laboratory. The asymmetry is non-vanishing even for a symmetric collider like the LHC, where a positive z axis is not uniquely defined. The angular distribution of the leptons has the advantage of being a faithful top-spin analyzer, unaffected by possible anomalous tbW couplings, to linear order. We study, for purposes of demonstration, the case of a Z' as might exist in the little Higgs models. We identify kinematic cuts which ensure that our asymmetry reflects the polarization in sign and magnitude. We investigate possibilities at the LHC with two energy options: root s = 14TeV and root s = 7TeV, as well as at the Tevatron. At the LHC the model predicts net top quark polarization of the order of a few per cent for M-Z' similar or equal to 1200GeV, being as high as 10% for a smaller mass of the Z' of 700GeV and for the largest allowed coupling in the model, the values being higher for the 7TeV option. These polarizations translate to a deviation from the standard-model value of azimuthal asymmetry of up to about 4% (7%) for 14 (7) TeV LHC, whereas for the Tevatron, values as high as 12% are attained. For the 14TeV LHC with an integrated luminosity of 10 fb(-1), these numbers translate into a 3 sigma sensitivity over a large part of the range 500 less than or similar to M-Z' less than or similar to 1500GeV.

Probing the indefinite CP nature of the Higgs boson through decay distributions in the process e(+)e(-) -> t(t)over-bar Phi

The recently discovered scalar resonance at the Large Hadron Collider is now almost confirmed to be a Higgs boson, whose CP properties are yet to be established. At the International Linear Collider with and without polarized beams, it may be possible to probe these properties at high precision. In this work, we study the possibility of probing departures from the pure CP-even case, by using the decay distributions in the process e(+)e(-) -> t (t) over bar Phi, with Phi mainly decaying into a b (b) over bar pair. We have compared the case of a minimal extension of the Standard Model case (model I) with an additional pseudoscalar degree of freedom, with a more realistic case namely the CP-violating two-Higgs doublet model (model II) that permits a more general description of the couplings. We have considered the International Linear Collider with root s = 800 GeV and integrated luminosity of 300 fb(-1). Our main findings are that even in the case of small departures from the CP-even case, the decay distributions are sensitive to the presence of a CP-odd component in model II, while it is difficult to probe these departures in model I unless the pseudoscalar component is very large. Noting that the proposed degrees of beam polarization increase the statistics, the process demonstrates the effective role of beam polarization in studies beyond the Standard Model. Further, our study shows that an indefinite CP Higgs would be a sensitive laboratory to physics beyond the Standard Model.

Search for the flavour-changing neutral current B-s(0)->mu+mu- in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV with the D0 dectector

We present the results of a search for the flavor-changing neutral current decay B-s(0)-->mu(+)mu(-) using a data set with integrated luminosity of 240 pb(-1) of p (p) over bar collisions at roots=1.96 TeV collected with the D0 detector in run II of the Fermilab Tevatron collider. We find the upper limit on the branching fraction to be B(B-s(0)-->mu(+)mu(-))less than or equal to5.0x10(-7) at the 95% C.L. assuming no contributions from the decay B-d(0)-->mu(+)mu(-) in the signal region. This limit is the most stringent upper bound on the branching fraction B-s(0)-->mu(+)mu(-) to date.

Search for first-generation scalar leptoquarks in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

We report on a search for pair production of first-generation scalar leptoquarks (LQ) in p (p) over bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV using an integrated luminosity of 252 pb(-1) collected at the Fermilab Tevatron collider by the D0 detector. We observe no evidence for LQ production in the topologies arising from LQ(LQ) over bar -> eqeq and LQ(LQ) over bar -> eq nu q, and derive 95% C.L. lower limits on the LQ mass as a function of beta, where beta is the branching fraction for LQ -> eq. The limits are 241 and 218 GeV/c(2) for beta=1 and 0.5, respectively. These results are combined with those obtained by D0 at root s=1.8 TeV, which increases these LQ mass limits to 256 and 234 GeV/c(2).

Search for pair production of second generation scalar leptoquarks in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s-=1.96 TeV

We report on a search for the pair production of second generation scalar leptoquarks (LQ(2)) in p (p) over bar collisions at the center-of-mass energy, root s = 1.96 TeV, using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 294 19 pb(-1) recorded with the DO detector. No evidence for a leptoquark signal in the LQ(2)LQ(2) -> mu q mu q channel has been observed, and upper bounds on the product of cross section times branching fraction were set. This yields lower mass limits of m(LQ2) > 247 GeV/c(2) for beta = B(LQ(2) -> mu q) = 1 and m(LQ2) > 182 GeV/c(2) for beta = 1/2. Combining these limits with previous DO results, the lower limits on the mass of a second generation scalar leptoquark are m(LQ2) > 251 GeV/c(2) and m(LQ2) > 204 GeV/c(2) for beta = I and beta = 1/2, respectively. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measurement of the WW production cross section in p(p)over-bar collisions at root(s)over-bar=1.96 TeV

We present a measurement of the W boson pair-production cross section in p(p) over bar collisions at a center-of-mass energy of root s=1.96 TeV. The data, collected with the Run II D0 detector at Fermilab, correspond to an integrated luminosity of 224-252 pb(-1) depending on the final state (ee, e mu, or mu mu). We observe 25 candidates with a background expectation of 8.1 +/- 0.6(stat)+/- 0.6(syst)+/- 0.5(lum) events. The probability for an upward fluctuation of the background to produce the observed signal is 2.3x10(-7), equivalent to 5.2 standard deviations. The measurement yields a cross section of 13.8(-3.8)(+4.3)(stat)(-0.9)(+1.2)(syst)+/- 0.9(lum) pb, in agreement with predictions from the standard model.

Search for neutral Higgs bosons decaying to tau pairs in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

A search for the production of neutral Higgs bosons Phi decaying into tau(+)tau(-) final states in p (p) over bar collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV is presented. The data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of approximately 325 pb(-1), were collected by the D0 experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. Since no excess compared to the expectation from standard model processes is found, limits on the production cross section times branching ratio are set. The results are combined with those obtained from the D0 search for Phi b((b) over bar)-> b (b) over barb((b) over bar) and are interpreted in the minimal supersymmetric standard model.

Search for R-parity violating supersymmetry via the LL(E)over-bar couplings lambda(121), lambda(122) or lambda(133) in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

A search for gaugino pair production with a trilepton signature in the framework of R-parity violating supersymmetry via the couplings; lambda(121), lambda(122), or lambda(133) is presented. The data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of L approximate to 360 pb(-1), were collected from April 2002 to August 2004 with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider, at a center-of-mass energy of root s = 1.96 TeV. This analysis considers final states with three charged leptons with the flavor combinations eel, mu mu l, and ee tau (l = e or mu). No evidence for supersymmetry is found and limits at the 95% confidence level are set on the gaugino pair production cross section and lower bounds on the masses of the lightest neutralino and chargino are derived in two supersymmetric models. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Search for a heavy resonance decaying into a Z plus jet final state in p(p)over-bar collisions at root s=1.96 TeV using the D0 detector

We have searched for a heavy resonance decaying into a Z+jet final state in p (p) over bar collisions at a center of mass energy of 1.96 TeV at the Fermilab Tevatron collider using the D0 detector. No indication for such a resonance was found in a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 370 pb(-1). We set upper limits on the cross section times branching fraction for heavy resonance production at the 95% C.L. as a function of the resonance mass and width. The limits are interpreted within the framework of a specific model of excited quark production.

Search for single production of scalar leptoquarks in p(p)over-bar collisions decaying into muons and quarks with the D0 detector

lWe report on a search for second generation leptoquarks (LQ(2)) which decay into a muon plus quark in (p) over barp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of root s = 1.96 TeV in the DO detector using an integrated luminosity of about 300 pb(-1). No evidence for a leptoquark signal is observed and an upper bound on the product of the cross section for single leptoquark production times branching fraction into a quark and a muon was determined for second generation scalar leptoquaiks as a function of the leptoquark mass. This result has been combined with a previously published DO search for leptoquark pair production to obtain leptoquark mass limits as a function of the leptoquark-muon-quark coupling, lambda. Assuming lambda = 1, lower limits on the mass of a second generation scalar leptoquark coupling to a u quark and a muon are m(LQ2) > 274 GeV and m(LQ2) > 226 GeV for beta = 1 and beta = 1/2, respectively. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.