Measurement of the W boson helicity in events with a single reconstructed top quark in p p collisions at root s=8 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Search for a standard model Higgs boson produced in association with a top-quark pair and decaying to bottom quarks using a matrix element method

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Limits on anomalous top-quark gauge couplings from Tevatron and LHC data

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Measurement of top quark-antiquark pair production in association with a W or Z boson in pp collisions at root s=8 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Search for standard model production of four top quarks in the lepton plus jets channel in pp collisions at root S=8 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Measurement of the top-quark mass in all-jets t(t)over-bar events in pp collisions at root s=7 TeV

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Population Growth of Antarctic Fur Seals: Limitation by a Top Predator, The Leopard Seal?

Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) in the South Shetland Islands are recovering from 19th-century exploitation more slowly than the main population at South Georgia. To document demographic changes associated with the recovery in the South Shetlands, we monitored fur seal abundance and reproduction in the vicinity of Elephant Island during austral summers from 1986/1987 through 1994/1995. Total births, mean and variance of birth dates, and average daily mortality rates were estimated from daily live pup counts at North Cove (NC) and North Annex (NA) colonies on Seal Island. Sightings of leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) and incidents of leopard seal predation on fur seal pups were recorded opportunistically during daily fur seal research at both sites. High mortality of fur seal pups, attributed to predation by leopard seals frequently observed at NC, caused pup numbers to decline rapidly between January and March (i.e., prior to weaning) each year and probably caused a long-term decline in the size of that colony. The NA colony, where leopard seals were never observed, increased in size during the study. Pup mortality from causes other than leopard seal predation appeared to be similar at the two sites. The number of pups counted at four locations in the Elephant Island vicinity increased slowly, at an annual rate of 3.8%, compared to rates as high as 11% at other locations in the South Shetland Islands. Several lines of circumstantial evidence are consistent with the hypothesis that leopard seal predators limit the growth of the fur seal population in the Elephant Island area and perhaps in the broader population in the South Shetland Islands. The sustained growth of this fur seal population over many decades rules out certain predator–prey models, allowing inference about the interaction between leopard seals and fur seals even though it is less thoroughly studied than predator–prey systems of terrestrial vertebrates of the northern hemisphere. Top-down forces should be included in hypotheses for future research on the factors shaping the recovery of the fur seal population in the South Shetland Islands.

Variation of Environmental Regulation Stringency Among the Top Ten U.S. Hog Producing States

The U.S. hog industry, once primarily made up of small owner-operated crop-hog farms, has become dominated by large specialized operations characterized by low costs and improved technologies in livestock management. Such changes have triggered concerns over the dangers large Hog Feeding Operations (HFOs) are likely to pose to the environment. In 2007, the top ten states accounted for more than 85 percent of total U.S. hog production (Iowa (IA), North Carolina (NC), Minnesota (MN), Illinois (IL), Nebraska (NE), Indiana (IN), Missouri (MO), Oklahoma (OK), Ohio (OH), and Kansas (KS)). With such domination on production, these states are often the subject of environmental debate relating to hog production. When farmers are required to incorporate environmental measures in hog production, their costs of production increase. Metcalfe (2001) found that small HFOs have found it difficult to cope with such costs and many have exited the industry, while large operations have not been affected at the same level. Due to the variation of environmental regulations among states, other operations moved to states with lax regulations (e.g. NC prior to the late 1990s). Such regulations appear to have played a major role in shaping the structure of the hog industry.

Top spoilage losses in maize silage sealed with plastic films with different permeabilities to oxygen

The quality of plastic films used for horizontal silos is important to limit losses in the upper silage layer. The aim of this work was to study the effectiveness of different plastic films in reducing the top losses in maize silage. The following treatments were evaluated: (i) coextruded polyethylene/polyamide oxygen barrier film (OB), (ii) polyethylene film (PE), (iii) polyvinyl chloride film (PVC), and (iv) coextruded PE/polyvinyl alcohol film (PVOH). These treatments differed according to oxygen permeability with values of 75, 722, 982 and 289 cm(3) m(-2) per 24 hour respectively. OB and PVOH films had better temperature and fermentation profiles than the more permeable films. The OB film was effective in reducing the dry-matter (DM) losses during storage (82 g kg(-1)), and the PVOH film had an intermediate value of DM loss (101 g kg(-1)). PE and PVC films had higher losses (138 and 145 g kg(-1) respectively). Oxygen permeability of the films promoted a positive correlation with DM losses (P < 0.05; r2 = 0.945). The results indicate that O2 permeability through the plastic film is a crucial factor for maintaining silage quality in the upper layer of the silo when it is perfectly sealed.

Selection of Top 10 Quality Indicators for Nutrition Therapy

Background: The identification of useful quality indicators for nutrition therapy (QINTs) is of great interest and a challenge. This study attempted to identify the 10 QINTs that best suit the practice of quality control in nutrition therapy (NT) by evaluating the opinion of experts in NT with the use of psychometric techniques and statistical tools. Methods: Thirty-six QINTs available for clinical application in Brazil were assessed in 2 distinct phases. In phase 1, 26 nutrition experts ranked QINTs by scoring 4 attributes (utility, simplicity, objectivity, low cost) to assess each QINT on a 5-point Likert scale. The top 10 QINTs were identified from the 10 best scores obtained, and the reliability of expert opinion for each indicator was assessed by Cronbach's alpha. In phase 2, experts provided feedback regarding the selected top 10 QINTs by answering 2 closed questions. Results: The top 10 QINTs, in descending order, are the frequency of nutrition screening of hospitalized patients, diarrhea, involuntary withdrawal of enteral feeding tubes, feeding tube obstruction, fasting longer than 24 hours, glycemic dysfunction, estimated energy expenditure and protein needs, central venous catheter infection, compliance of NT indication, and frequency of application of subjective global assessment. Opinions were consistent among the interviewed experts. During feedback, 96% of experts were satisfied with the top 10 QINTs, and 100% had considered them in accordance with their previous opinion. Conclusion: The top 10 QINTs were identified according to their usefulness in clinical practice by obtaining adequate agreement and representativeness of opinion of nutrition experts. (Nutr Clin Pract. 2012;27:261-267)

Applicazione di una metodologia LCA all'impiego di biomasse legnose a fini energetici: un confronto tra la produzione di energia termica da cippato e da pellet

Con questo studio si è volto effettuare un confronto tra la generazione di energia termica a partire da cippato e da pellet, con particolare riferimento agli aspetti di carattere ambientale ed economico conseguenti la produzione delle due differenti tipologie di combustibile. In particolare, si sono ipotizzate due filire, una di produzione del cippato, una del pellet, e per ciascuna di esse si è condotta un'Analisi del Ciclo di Vita, allo scopo di mettere in luce, da un lato le fasi del processo maggiormente critiche, dall'altro gli impatti sulla salute umana, sugli ecosistemi, sul consumo di energia e risorse. Quest'analisi si è tradotta in un confronto degli impatti generati dalle due filiere al fine di valutare a quale delle due corrisponda il minore. E' stato infine effettuato un breve accenno di valutazione economica per stimare quale tipologia di impianto, a cippato o a pellet, a parità di energia prodotta, risulti più conveniente.

Análisis, diseño y desarrollo de un videojuego en 2D con perspectiva top-down

[ES]En este proyecto la alumna ha desarrollado la demo jugable de un videojuego en 2D con perspectiva top-down. El juego transcurre en un zoológico, con un mono como protagonista, y el objetivo del mismo es lograr escapar al tiempo que se evita a los empleados del zoo. Para conseguir huir, el jugador tendrá que obtener algunos objetos y liberar a otros animales. En la propia demo se pueden consultar los controles y las distintas opciones disponibles. Para la creación del juego se ha utilizado el motor de juegos Unity 5 (edición personal) y recursos obtenidos de diversas fuentes de contenido gratuito.