Two-loop amplitudes and master integrals for the production of a Higgs boson via a massive quark and a scalar-quark loop

We compute all two-loop master integrals which are required for the evaluation of next-to-leading order QCD corrections in Higgs boson production via gluon fusion. Many two-loop amplitudes for 2 -> 1 processes in the Standard Model and beyond can be expressed in terms of these integrals using automated reduction techniques. These integrals also form a subset of the master integrals for more complicated 2 -> 2 amplitudes with massive propagators in the loops. As a first application, we evaluate the two-loop amplitude for Higgs boson production in gluon fusion via a massive quark. Our result is the first independent check of the calculation of Spira, Djouadi, Graudenz and Zerwas. We also present for the first time the two-loop amplitude for gg -> h via a massive squark

Indoor battery-less temperature and humidity sensor for Bluetooth Low Energy

In June 2010, the Bluetooth SIG adopted the first version of Bluetooth that includes the low energy specifications (4.0). Ble has been designed to allow devices running on a small energy budget to communicate with host stations such as mobile phones or personal computers. Bluetooth low energy is primarily meant to be used in applications that require small batteries. In this work we investigated the suitability of that new wireless protocol for a battery-free application. We chose a simple and yet useful application scenario, where temperature and humidity are measured in an office environment and the results are wirelessly sent to a host. The use of the new sensor SHT21 from Sensirion allows temperature and humidity to be precisely measured with a small energy budget. For sensors to be moved and placed conveniently, a wireless system based on the EM9301 Ble radio of EM Microelectronic is implemented. The EM6819 is used as microcontroller to control the system. Energy autonomy is provided by a flexible and small solar cell from G24i. Temperature and humidity data can be displayed or transferred to the right place by using the appropriate PC or mobile phone fitted with the wireless link. As far as we know, this is the first work of this type using a battery-less sensor and Ble for communication

Population history, gene flow, and bottlenecks in island populations of a secondary seed disperser, the southern grey shrike (Lanius meridionalis koenigi)

Studying the population history and demography of organisms with important ecological roles can aid understanding of evolutionary processes at the community level and inform conservation. We screened genetic variation (mtDNA and microsatellite) across the populations of the southern grey shrike (Lanius meridionalis koenigi) in the Canary Islands, where it is an endemic subspecies and an important secondary seed disperser. We show that the Canarian subspecies is polyphyletic with L. meridionalis elegans from North Africa and that shrikes have colonized the Canary Islands from North Africa multiple times. Substantial differences in genetic diversity exist across islands, which are most likely the product of a combination of historical colonization events and recent bottlenecks. The Eastern Canary Islands had the highest overall levels of genetic diversity and have probably been most recently and/or frequently colonized from Africa. Recent or ongoing bottlenecks were detected in three of the islands and are consistent with anecdotal evidence of population declines due to human disturbance. These findings are troubling given the shrike's key ecological role in the Canary Islands, and further research is needed to understand the community-level consequences of declines in shrike populations. Finally, we found moderate genetic differentiation among populations, which largely reflected the shrike's bottleneck history; however, a significant pattern of isolation-by-distance indicated that some gene flow occurs between islands. This study is a useful first step toward understanding how secondary seed dispersal operates over broad spatial scales

Swiss CRM 2012 : Einsatz und Trends in Schweizer Unternehmen

StudieDie jährlich und dieses Jahr bereits zum sechsten Mal durchgeführte Trendstudie bietet einen umfassenden Überblick zum Status Quo von Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in der Schweiz und identifiziert die bedeutendsten Trends. Mit dieser Studie hat das Zentrum für Marketing Management der ZHAW School of Management and Law 522 Entscheidungsträger zum Thema CRM in der Schweiz mit freundlicher Unterstützung der Schweizerischen Post befragt. Um aktuell interessante Themen genauer zu beleuchten, werden ausgewählte Schwerpunktthemen, dieses Jahr Customer Experience Management (CEM) und Schutz von Kundendaten, vertieft befragt

Demand Forces of Technical Change Evidence from the Chinese Manufacturing Industry

This paper investigates the effect of market size on innovation activities across different durable good industries in the Chinese manufacturing sector. We use a potential market size measure driven only by changes in the Chinese income distribution which is exogenous to changes in prices and qualities of durable goods to instrument for actual future market size. Results indicate that an increase in market size by one percentage point leads to an increase of 4.4% in R&D inputs, an increase in labour productivity by 6.5% and an increase in the likelihood of a successful product innovation by about 1.1 percentage points. These findings are robust controlling for export behaviour of firms and supply side drivers of R&D

Wandering behaviour prevents inter and intra oceanic speciation in a coastal pelagic fish

Small pelagic fishes have the ability to disperse over long distances and may present complex evolutionary histories. Here, Old World Anchovies (OWA) were used as a model system to understand genetic patterns and connectivity of fish between the Atlantic and Pacific basins. We surveyed 16 locations worldwide using mtDNA and 8 microsatellite loci for genetic parameters, and mtDNA (cyt b; 16S) and nuclear (RAG1; RAG2) regions for dating major lineage-splitting events within Engraulidae family. The OWA genetic divergences (0-0.4%) are compatible with intra-specific divergence, showing evidence of both ancient and contemporary admixture between the Pacific and Atlantic populations, enhanced by high asymmetrical migration from the Pacific to the Atlantic. The estimated divergence between Atlantic and Pacific anchovies (0.67 [0.53-0.80] Ma) matches a severe drop of sea temperature during the Gunz glacial stage of the Pleistocene. Our results support an alternative evolutionary scenario for the OWA, suggesting a coastal migration along south Asia, Middle East and eastern Africa continental platforms, followed by the colonization of the Atlantic via the Cape of the Good Hope.Portuguese Foundation for Science & Technology (FCT) [SFRH/BD/36600/2007]; FCT [UID/MAR/04292/2013, SFRH/BPD/65830/2009]; FCT strategic plan [UID/Multi/04326/2013]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evaluating multi-loop Feynman diagrams with infrared and threshold singularities numerically

We present a method to evaluate numerically Feynman diagrams directly from their Feynman parameters representation. We first disentangle overlapping singularities using sector decomposition. Threshold singularities are treated with an appropriate contour deformation. We have validated our technique comparing with recent analytic results for the gg->h two-loop amplitudes with heavy quarks and scalar quarks.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures; references added, version to appear in JHE

Análisis de la oferta de servicios complementarios para hoteles vacacionales en función de su estrategia de precios y de la sensibilidad al precio de los turistas

El presente trabajo tiene por objeto definir, valorar y clasificar un conjunto de servicios gratuitos o de pago susceptibles de ser ofrecidos a los turistas de hoteles vacacionales de sol y playa para incrementar la satisfacción de los clientes y la rentabilidad de los hoteles. Inicialmente se definió un amplio número de servicios a partir de una profunda revisión de la literatura, la realización de entrevistas en profundidad a nueve directivos de hoteles y una valoración a través de una encuesta a 21 expertos de hoteles turísticos utilizando la metodología Delphi. Posteriormente, dichos servicios fueron (1) valorados por una muestra representativa de 1.100 turistas de hoteles de 3, 4 y 5 estrellas de un destino turístico maduro de sol y playa y (2) clasificados en servicios imprescindibles, deseables y prescindibles, en función de su importancia y frecuencia de uso, y diferenciando entre tres tipologías de hoteles según su política de precios.The purpose of the present work is to define, evaluate and classify a free or paid services set that could be offered to tourist of beach hotels to increase customer satisfaction and hotel profitability. Initially, a large number of services based on the literature review were defined, personal interviews with nine hotel managers were made and the assessment through a survey of 21 hotel experts using the Delphi methodology. Subsequently, these services were (1) valued by a representative samples of 1,100 tourists from of 3, 4 and 5 star hotels in a mature sun and beach tourist destination and (2) classified in essential, desirable and dispensable services, according to the importance and frequency of use, and differentiating between three types of hotels according to its pricing policy

Precise targeted integration by a chimaeric transposase zinc-finger fusion protein

Transposons of the Tc1/mariner family have been used to integrate foreign DNA stably into the genome of a large variety of different cell types and organisms. Integration is at TA dinucleotides located essentially at random throughout the genome, potentially leading to insertional mutagenesis, inappropriate activation of nearby genes, or poor expression of the transgene. Here, we show that fusion of the zinc-finger DNA-binding domain of Zif268 to the C-terminus of ISY100 transposase leads to highly specific integration into TA dinucleotides positioned 6-17 bp to one side of a Zif268 binding site. We show that the specificity of targeting can be changed using Zif268 variants that bind to sequences from the HIV-1 promoter, and demonstrate a bacterial genetic screen that can be used to select for increased levels of targeted transposition. A TA dinucleotide flanked by two Zif268 binding sites was efficiently targeted by our transposase-Zif268 fusion, suggesting the possibility of designer ‘Z-transposases’ that could deliver transgenic cargoes to chosen genomic locations

Internet banking acceptance model: Cross-market examination

This article proposes a revised technology acceptance model to measure consumers’ acceptance of Internet banking, the Internet Banking Acceptance Model (IBAM). Data was collected from 618 university students in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. The results suggest the importance of attitude, such that attitude and behavioral intentions emerge as a single factor, denoted as “attitudinal intentions” (AI). Structural equation modeling confirms the fit of the model, in which perceived usefulness and trust fully mediate the impact of subjective norms and perceived manageability on AI. The invariance analysis demonstrates the psychometric equivalence of the IBAM measurements between the two country groups. At the structural level, the influence of trust and system usefulness on AI vary between the two countries, emphasizing the potential role of cultures in IS adoption. The IBAM is robust and parsimonious, explaining over 80% of AI