Underlying event sensitive observables in Drell-Yan production using GENEVA

We present an extension of the GENEVA Monte Carlo framework to include multiple parton interactions (MPI) provided by PYTHIA8. This allows us to obtain predictions for underlying-event sensitive measurements in Drell-Yan production, in conjunction with GENEVA's fully-differential NNLO calculation, NNLL' resummation for the 0-jet resolution variable (beam thrust), and NLL resummation for the 1-jet resolution variable. We describe the interface with the parton shower algorithm and MPI model of PYTHIA8, which preserves both the precision of partonic N-jet cross sections in GENEVA as well as the shower accuracy and good description of soft hadronic physics of PYTHIA8. We present results for several underlying-event sensitive observables and compare to data from ATLAS and CMS as well as to standalone PYTHIA8 predictions. This includes a comparison with the recent ATLAS measurement of the beam thrust spectrum, which provides a potential avenue to fully disentangle the physical effects from the primary hard interaction, primary soft radiation, multiple parton interactions, and nonperturbative hadronization.Comment: 23 pages, 11 figures. v3: version accepted by EPJ

Technomoral Resilience as a Goal of Moral Education

In today’s highly dynamic societies, moral norms and values are subject to change. Moral change is partly driven by technological developments. For instance, the introduction of robots in elderly care practices requires caregivers to share moral responsibility with a robot (see van Wynsberghe 2013). Since we do not know what elements of morality will change and how they will change (see van der Burg 2003), moral education should aim at fostering what has been called “moral resilience” (Swierstra 2013). We seek to fill two gaps in the existing literature: (i) research on moral education has not paid enough attention to the development of moral resilience; (ii) the very limited literature on moral resilience does not conceptualise moral resilience in relation to new technological developments. We argue that philosophical accounts of moral education need to do justice to the importance of moral resilience, and that a specific form of moral resilience should be conceptualised as “technomoral resilience” to underline the added value of cultivating moral resilience in relation to technomoral change. We illustrate the role of technomoral resilience in practice by looking at the context of elderly care. To make the first step towards an account of how technomoral resilience can be fostered in moral education, we propose that moral education shall focus on a triangle of capacities: (1) moral imagination, (2) a capacity for critical reflection, and (3) a capacity for maintaining one’s moral agency in the face of disturbances

Drell-Yan Production at NNLL'+NNLO Matched to Parton Showers

We present results for Drell-Yan production from the GENEVA Monte-Carlo framework. We combine the fully-differential NNLO calculation with higher-order resummation in the 0-jettiness resolution variable. The resulting parton-level events are further combined with parton showering and hadronization provided by PYTHIA8. The 0-jettiness resummation is carried out to NNLL', which consistently incorporates all singular virtual and real NNLO corrections. It thus provides a natural perturbative connection between the NNLO calculation and the parton shower regime, including a systematic assessment of perturbative uncertainties. In this way, inclusive observables are correct to NNLO, up to small power corrections in the resolution cutoff. Furthermore, the perturbative accuracy of 0-jet-like resummation variables is significantly improved beyond the parton shower approximation. We provide comparisons with LHC measurements of Drell-Yan production at 7 TeV from ATLAS, CMS, and LHCb. As already observed in $e^+e^-$ collisions, for resummation-sensitive observables, the agreement with data is noticeably improved by using a lower value of $\alpha_s(M_Z) = 0.1135$.Comment: 26 pages, 20 figure

Students\u27 View on Instant Online Feedback for Presentations

This paper presents an empirical study investigating the use of instant online feedback on face-to-face presentations. This innovative way of using information technology for the specific communication purpose of giving feedback was researched in the context of a university course on “Human-Computer Interaction and Psychology”. A total sum of 80 students majoring in Computer Science participated in the instant online feedback activity and 907 feedbacks were given. 72 students returned the questionnaire for evaluating this educational scenario. Quantitative and qualitative analysis revealed that students seem to prefer giving feedback online in addition to a face-to-face setting for reasons like possible anonymity and more honesty. Study results further demonstrate that instant online feedback may facilitate students\u27 interest in and commitment to their presentations, finally also increasing their contributions\u27 quality

Die Bedeutung funktionaler und ökologischer Verpackungsmerkmale aus der Sicht des Konsumenten : Ergebnisse einer empirischen Studie

In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden auf der Grundlage der Informationsökonomie spezifische Problemfelder beim Kauf von Gütern mit ökologischen Merkmalen beleuchtet, um darauf aufbauend ein Abbild des Kaufprozesses in Form eines Partialmodells herauszuarbeiten. Diese theoretische Basis ist Ausgangspunkt einer empirischen Untersuchung, die die Bedeutung der Umweltverträglichkeit von Frischmilch-Verpackungen für die Kaufentscheidung offenlegen soll. Zuerst werden mit Hilfe einer Conjoint-Analyse die Präferenzen der Nachfrager für unterschiedliche Verpackungs-merkmale ermittelt, um auf dieser Datenbasis mit Hilfe einer Clusteranalyse Konsumentengruppen zu bilden, die für eine segmentspezifische Verpackungs-politik zugänglich sind. Eine einfaktorielle Varianzanalyse gibt Aufschluß darüber, ob die gewählten Gruppierungsvariablen die Cluster signifikant trennen. Anschließend wird eine "means end"-Analyse herangezogen, um die hinter der Kaufentscheidung stehenden Werthaltungen der Nachfrager zu identifizieren. Aus einer derart erweiterten Beschreibung der Cluster werden abschließend Implikationen für die Verpackungspolitik abgeleitet

Event-Marketing : Handlungsempfehlungen zur erfolgreichen Gestaltung von Events auf Basis der Werthaltungen von Eventbesuchern

Die Bedeutung der Kommunikationspolitik von Unternehmen hat in vergangener Zeit aufgrund des stetig wachsenden Produktangebots und damit einhergehend einem stärkeren Wettbewerb sowie aufgrund immer homogener werdender Produkte stark zugenommen. Die Wirksamkeit traditioneller Kommunikationsinstrumente nimmt jedoch kontinuierlich ab. Im Zuge der vermehrten Erlebnisorientierung der Konsu-menten konnte sich das Event-Marketing als geeignetes Kommunikationsinstrument zur Erzielung von Wettbewerbsvorteilen etablieren. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird eine detaillierte Untersuchung bestehender Definitionen von Events und Event-Marketing durchgeführt. Der Eventbegriff, der sich als valide und anwendbar herauskristallisierte, beschreibt Events als inszenierte Ereignisse in Form von Veranstaltungen und Aktionen, die dem Adressaten firmen- oder produktbezogene Kommunikationsinhalte erlebnisorientiert vermitteln. Event-Marketing stellt demzufol-ge auf den gezielten Einsatz von Ereignissen und Veranstaltungen im Rahmen der absatzpolitischen Instrumente ab. Durch eine empirische Studie zur Identifikation kaufverhaltensprägender Werte (Means-End-Analyse) von Event-Besuchern konnten die Werthaltungen aufgedeckt werden, die Konsumenten zum Besuch von Events veranlassen. Sport- und Musikevents sind im Zuge der gestiegenen Freizeitorientierung sehr gut besucht und wurden deshalb in der Untersuchung berücksichtigt. Die Studie basiert auf der Means-End-Theorie, die über das „laddering“-Verfahren die Gedankenstrukturen der Konsumenten zu rekonstruieren hilft. So entsteht eine Means-End-Kette, die bei konkreten Attributen eines Events beginnt und sich über den aus dem Event gezogenen Nutzen bis zu den terminalen Werthaltungen eines Individuums fortsetzt. Im Rahmen der Studie konnten die Werthaltungen identifiziert werden, die Individuen zum Besuch von Musik- bzw. Sportevents veranlassen. Zwei bzw. drei Konsumenten- bzw. Besuchercluster wurden erkannt: (1) die Spaßorientierten, (2) die Geselligen und (3) die Erfolgsorientierten. Die Kenntnis der terminalen Werthaltungen erlaubt die zielgruppengerechte Formulie rung von Marketingstrategien und die Ableitung von Vorschlägen zu deren erfolgreicher Umsetzung

Immune Network Algorithm applied to the Optimization of Composite SaaS in Cloud Computing

Abstract-In order to serve the different application needs of the different Cloud users efficiently and effectively, a possible solution is the decomposition of the software or so-called composite SaaS (Software as a Service). A composite SaaS constitutes a group of loosely-coupled applications that communicate with each other to form higher-level functionality. The benefits to the SaaS providers are reduced delivery cost and flexible SaaS functions, and the benefit for the users is the decreased cost of subscription. For this to be achieved effectively, the optimization of the process is required in order to manage the SaaS resources in the data center efficiently. In this paper, the optimization task of composite SaaS is investigated using an Immune network optimization approach. The approach makes use of activation and suppression that are mimicked by the natural immune system triggering an immune response not only when antibodies interact with antigens but also when they interact with other antibodies. Experiments are conducted with a series of SaaS configurations and the proposed immune network algorithm is compared with a formerly proposed grouping genetic algorithm. The results show that the immune network algorithm outperforms the grouping genetic algorithm

Overlapping activator sequences determined for two oppositely oriented promoters in halophilic Archaea

Transcription of the genomic region involved in gas vesicle formation in Halobacterium salinarum (p-vac) and Haloferax mediterranei (mc-vac) is driven by two divergent promoters, PA and PD, separated by only 35 nt. Both promoters are activated by the transcription activator GvpE which in the case of PmcA requires a 20-nt sequence (UAS) consisting of two conserved 8-nt sequence portions located upstream of BRE. Here, we determined the two UAS elements in the promoter region of p-vac by scanning mutageneses using constructs containing PpD (without PpA) fused to the bgaH reporter gene encoding an enzyme with β-galactosidase activity, or the dual reporter construct pApD with PpD fused to bgaH and PpA to an altered version of gvpA. The two UAS elements found exhibited a similar extension and distance to BRE as previously determined for the UAS in PmcA. Their distal 8-nt portions almost completely overlapped in the centre of PpD–PpA, and mutations in this region negatively affected the GvpE-mediated activation of both promoters. Any alteration of the distance between BRE and UAS resulted in the loss of the GvpE activation, as did a complete substitution of the proximal 8-nt portion, underlining that a close location of UAS and BRE was very important

Spatial Attention, Precision, and Bayesian Inference: A Study of Saccadic Response Speed

Inferring the environment's statistical structure and adapting behavior accordingly is a fundamental modus operandi of the brain. A simple form of this faculty based on spatial attentional orienting can be studied with Posner's location-cueing paradigm in which a cue indicates the target location with a known probability. The present study focuses on a more complex version of this task, where probabilistic context (percentage of cue validity) changes unpredictably over time, thereby creating a volatile environment. Saccadic response speed (RS) was recorded in 15 subjects and used to estimate subject-specific parameters of a Bayesian learning scheme modeling the subjects' trial-by-trial updates of beliefs. Different response models—specifying how computational states translate into observable behavior—were compared using Bayesian model selection. Saccadic RS was most plausibly explained as a function of the precision of the belief about the causes of sensory input. This finding is in accordance with current Bayesian theories of brain function, and specifically with the proposal that spatial attention is mediated by a precision-dependent gain modulation of sensory input. Our results provide empirical support for precision-dependent changes in beliefs about saccade target locations and motivate future neuroimaging and neuropharmacological studies of how Bayesian inference may determine spatial attentio

Estimation of anaerobic threshold by cardiac repolarization instability: a prospective validation study

BACKGROUND Assessing lactate (LT) or anaerobic thresholds (AT) in athletes is an important tool to control training intensities and to estimate individual performance levels. Previously we demonstrated that ECG-based assessment of cardiac repolarization instability during exercise testing allows non-invasive estimation of AT in recreational athletes. Here, we validate this method in professional and amateur team sports athletes. METHODS We included 65 team sports athletes (32 professionals and 33 amateur athletes; 51 men, 14 women, mean age 22.3 ± 5.2 years) undergoing a standardized incremental cycle exercise test. During exercise testing a high-resolution ECG (1000~Hz) was recorded in Frank-leads configuration and beat-to-beat vector changes of cardiac repolarization (dT°) were assessed by previously established technologies. Repolarization-based AT (ATdT°) was estimated by its typical dT°-signal pattern. Additionally, LT was detected in accordance to methods established by Mader (LTMader) and Dickhuth (LTDickhuth). RESULTS All athletes performed exercise testing until exhaustion with a mean maximum workload of 262.3 ± 60.8~W (241.8 ± 64.4~W for amateur athletes and 283.4 ± 49.5~W for professional athletes). Athletes showed ATdT° at 187.6 ± 44.4~W, LTDickhuth at 181.1 ± 45.6~W and LTMader at 184.3 ± 52.4~W. ATdT° correlated highly significantly with LTDickhuth (r = 0.96, p < 0.001) and LTMader (r = 0.98, p < 0.001) in the entire cohort of athletes as well as in the subgroups of professional and amateur athletes (p < 0.001 for all). CONCLUSIONS ATdT°, defined by the maximal discordance between dT° and heart rate, can be assessed reliably and non-invasively via the use of a high-resolution ECG in professional and amateur athletes