Fully hadronic ttbar cross section measurement with ATLAS detector

The top quark pair production cross section in the fully hadronic final state is characterized by a six jet topology, two of which could be identified as originating from a b-quark using ATLAS b-tagging algorithms. Compared to other decay channels, this final state presents an advantageous larger branching ratio; on the other hand it suffers from a very large QCD multi-jet background, generally difficult to estimate from Monte Carlo simulation and therefore evaluated using data-driven techniques. The analysis is performed using 36pb-1 of pp collisions produced at the LHC with a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The observed upper limit is set at 261 pb at 95% confidence level, where the expected Standard Model cross-section for the ttbar process is 165+11-16 pb. In the future, when the LHC luminosity increases, it is essential, to efficiently trigger on these fully hadronic ttbar events, to use dedicated triggers. An overview of the analysis for ttbar production cross section measurement in the fully hadronic final state and the state-of-the-art of the b-jet trigger performance estimation are presented in this contribution.Comment: 3 pages, PDFLATEX, 4 pdf figures, conference proceedings for PIC201

Assetto dell'area di pertinenza e progetto di un edificio polifunzionale a Bocca di Magra -La Spezia-

Questo lavoro si propone di determinare un possibile idea di sviluppo per il Borgo di Bocca di Magra (La Spezia) attraverso la definizione di un complesso edilizio articolato in più destinazioni d'uso; di tale complesso porterò a definizione in scala architettonica un centro polifunzionale e ne definirò le principali scelte sui materiali. Ho ritenuto anche importante, condurre uno studio approfondito delle caratteristiche morfologiche, naturalistiche e storiche del territorio in cui avrà luogo il progetto, inserendole in un contesto più generale relativo alla Regione Liguria

‘Spirituality in practice’ in sustainability tourism research

Journal article accepted for publication in Journal of Qualitative Research in Tourism.A more critical and engaging tourism sustainability research is needed, and this note argues that a valuable contribution can come from the scholars’ engagement with their spirituality. The main argument is that spirituality and sustainability are strictly interrelated, and such link should be an integral part of the methodology of studies about sustainability and tourism. Elaborating on the concept of reflexivity, this note coins the expression ‘spirituality in practice’, which is explained using an example based on the author’s experience. This note challenges tourism scholars to reflect on and make explicit how their position in terms of spirituality influences their choices regarding sustainability research

Structural, promotion and metal-support interaction effects in Co/TiO2 catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

Tesis por compendioLa presente tesis doctoral está centrada en la investigación de los parámetros estructurales que determinan las propiedades catalíticas en la síntesis de Fischer-Tropsch (SFT) de catalizadores de cobalto soportados en TiO2. Por un lado, el estudio de la influencia del polimorfo de óxido de titanio (rutilo vs. anatasa) utilizado como soporte en catalizadores de Co promovidos con Ru ha permitido obtener correlaciones entre la estructura cristalina del soporte, la extensión del efecto SMSI (interacción fuerte metal-soporte) y los resultados catalíticos. Por otro lado, mediante la modificación de las propiedades texturales del soporte TiO2-anatasa con el objetivo de obtener catalizadores con baja, media y alta área superficial se ha podido avanzar en el conocimiento del efecto SMSI y su correlación con las propiedades texturales del soporte. Además, las consecuencias del aumento en área superficial del soporte en la actividad y selectividad de catalizadores CoRu/TiO2 para la SFT se han podido explicar en base a las relaciones establecidas entre estructura y efecto SMSI. Adicionalmente, el uso de técnicas de luz sincrotrón junto con caracterización espectroscópica in situ realizada a presiones superiores a la atmosférica, ha permitido explicar el papel de la adición y concentración de Ru como promotor en catalizadores CoRu/TiO2. Finalmente, se han estudiado tratamientos de reducción-oxidación-reducción (ROR) en catalizadores CoRu/TiO2 con el objetivo de mejorar su actividad catalítica. Como conclusión general, los conocimientos derivados de los resultados obtenidos en esta tesis doctoral pueden aportar estrategias adecuadas para el diseño de catalizadores de FT mejorados basados en Co empleando TiO2 como soporte.The present doctoral thesis focused on the investigation of the structural parameters that can determine the ultimate catalytic properties for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) of TiO2-supported cobalt catalysts. On the one hand, the study of the influence of the titania polymorph (rutile vs. anatase) as support for Ru-promoted Co and Ru nanoparticles (NPs) has allowed to identify some correlations between the TiO2 crystalline phase, the SMSI (strong metal-support interaction) effect, and the catalytic performance for FTS of the catalysts. On the other hand, by preparing CoRu catalysts supported on TiO2-anatase with low, medium, and high surface area, further insights into the SMSI effect and its dependence on the textural properties of the TiO2-anatase support have been gained. Besides, the consequences of increasing the surface area of the support on the activity and selectivity of the catalysts for FTS have been explained based on the established structure-SMSI relationships. Moreover, a detailed study involving the use of in situ synchrotron-based spectroscopic characterizations at pressures higher than the ambient pressure usually applied in most previous works, has been carried out aiming at explaining the role of Ru addition and concentration as promoter in Co/TiO2 catalysts. Finally, reduction-oxidation-reduction (ROR) treatments have been applied on CoRu/TiO2 catalysts to revert the SMSI effect as a feasible strategy to enhance their catalytic activity. Overall, the results reported in this thesis provide grounds for designing TiO2-supported Co catalysts with improved activity and selectivity for FTS.La present tesi doctoral està centrada en la investigació dels paràmetres estructurals que poden tenir influència en les propietats catalítiques dels catalitzadors que s'han aplicat a la reacció de síntesi de Fischer-Tropsch (SFT). S'ha estudiat la influència del polimorf de titani (rutil o anatasa) utilitzat com a suport de nanopartícules (NPs) de Co i Ru, observant correlacions entre l'estructura cristal·lina del suport, l'efecte SMSI (forta interacció metall-suport) i els resultats catalítics. D'altra banda, es va fer un estudi modificant les propietats texturals de la anatasa amb l'objectiu d'obtenir catalitzadors amb diferent àrea superficial, i s'ha pogut establir un coneixement més profund de l'efecte SMSI i la seua correlació amb les propietats texturals del suport. A més, la influència de l'augment de l'àrea superficial del suport per a la reacció de SFT, en termes d'activitat i selectivitat, han sigut explicats d'acord a les relacions establides entre l'estructura i l'efecte SMSI. Addicionalment, fent ús de tècniques de llum sincrotró juntament amb caracterització in situ realitzada a altes pressions, ha sigut possible explicar el paper de l'addició i concentració de Ru com a promotor en catalitzadors CoRu/TiO2. Finalment, s'han estudiat els tractaments de reducció-oxidació-reducció (ROR) en catalitzadors CoRu/TiO2 amb l'objectiu de millorar la seua activitat catalítica. En resum, els coneixements derivats dels resultats obtinguts en esta tesi doctoral permeten establir estratègies per al disseny de catalitzadors millorats per a la síntesi de FT basats en cobalt utilitzant TiO2 com a suport.Bertella, F. (2018). Structural, promotion and metal-support interaction effects in Co/TiO2 catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/107952TESISCompendi

Small tourism providers' stories about sustainability

This study asks how small tourism providers use stories to make sense of their world in terms of sustainability. It elaborates on sense-making and story concepts and their relevance to sustainability; adopts an enactive research approach and multiple methods (participation, journaling, interviews, document analysis, content analysis); and explores five providers’ stories about themselves, the destination, and their story for tourists. The main findings reveals that the providers make sense of their world by seeing themselves as characters in a multi-themed story in which they are fallible change agents, understanding and practising sustainability differently, whereas the government is responsible for implementing radical change. This study’s novelty lies in the narrative inquiry that allows a comprehensive, nuanced understanding of tourism providers’ worldviews

Telling the story of a sustainable business model in Arctic luxury food tourism

Article submitted to Journal of Gastronomy and Tourism". Source at https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cog/gatLuxury gastronomy can be relevant to tourism in terms of sustainability. This study adopted the perspective of business models (BMs) as narratives to explore luxury gastronomy and sustainability in the case of a food project in Arctic Norway. This study focused on the story that drives, communicates and legitimises the project’s BM and its sustainability. The main findings suggest that the specific BM can be viewed as a story revolving around two interrelated major themes: sustainability as an integrated part of quality and luxury as time for inspiration and self-care and as coherence (in experiential terms as well as in relation to sustainability commitment). The adoption of the perspective of BMs as narratives helped uncover the social dynamic dimension of the BM, which concerns the process through which businesses emerge from social interactions and, in the investigated case, is essentially an expression of a collective effort to include an element of innovativeness within a context that is otherwise rather static

Sustainability and justice: farm animals in rural tourism and lessons to be learned

Farm animals are virtually ignored in tourism studies concerning sustainability and justice. This study argues that this conflicts with animal ethics and is a missed opportunity to reflect on sustainability and justice in tourism. It adopts an ecofeminist care ethics perspective and conducts autoethnographic research into farm animals, considered ‘silenced’ individuals belonging to a marginalised group in rural tourism. The case is used to discuss farm animal justice and identify some lessons on sustainability and justice in broader terms, more precisely about the power–responsibility link, some major obstacles, possible change agents, and the time frame for broad radical improvements. This study highlights the potential and challenges of autoethnography to gain insights into marginalised groups and extract lessons relevant to broader topics

Discussing tourism during a crisis: resilient reactions and learning paths towards sustainable futures

This study’s purpose is to conceptualise the relationship between resilience and sustainability from a learning perspective. It asks how a community’s first reactions to a crisis can indicate the possible future development of a destination’s sustainability, and examines the resilience properties of elasticity, hysteresis and malleability in relation to single- and multiple-loop learning. Empirically, this study explores public discussions about tourism in northern Norway immediately before, and during the first months of, the COVID-19 crisis. Such discussions are investigated through a qualitative content analysis of articles from the regional newspaper. The findings identify a variety of perspectives among the participants to the discussions reported in the newspaper, including the coexistence of different views on tourism and sustainability and on responses to a crisis. This study frames the discussions in terms of elastic, hysteretic and malleable reactions, and illustrates three learning paths towards alternative weak and strong sustainable futures in a conceptual model. The originality of this study concerns a conceptualisation of the resilience – sustainability relationship as a set of learning paths that emphasises the dynamic and non-deterministic aspects of tourism development, aiming to evoke a sense of both responsibility and empowerment

Systemic risk in dynamical networks with stochastic failure criterion

Complex non-linear interactions between banks and assets we model by two time-dependent Erd\H{o}s Renyi network models where each node, representing bank, can invest either to a single asset (model I) or multiple assets (model II). We use dynamical network approach to evaluate the collective financial failure---systemic risk---quantified by the fraction of active nodes. The systemic risk can be calculated over any future time period, divided on sub-periods, where within each sub-period banks may contiguously fail due to links to either (i) assets or (ii) other banks, controlled by two parameters, probability of internal failure $p$ and threshold $T_h$ ("solvency" parameter). The systemic risk non-linearly increases with $p$ and decreases with average network degree faster when all assets are equally distributed across banks than if assets are randomly distributed. The more inactive banks each bank can sustain (smaller $T_h$), the smaller the systemic risk---for some $T_h$ values in I we report a discontinuity in systemic risk. When contiguous spreading becomes stochastic (ii) controlled by probability $p_2$---a condition for the bank to be solvent (active) is stochastic---the systemic risk decreases with decreasing $p_2$. We analyse asset allocation for the U.S. banks.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure

Including the ‘voices’ of Animals in Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure Research

Source at https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/advanced-research-methods-in-hospitality-and-tourism-dr-fevzi-okumus/1141481671.In recent decades, our knowledge and perceptions of animals have changed considerably. An increasing number of scholars are interested in exploring animals and their roles in the context of tourism, hospitality and leisure. Recent studies have covered both practical and theoretical aspects of this topic, sometimes including considerations of animal ethics. This chapter argues that it is time to reflect on the research ethics and methodological implications of such emerging perspectives. The chapter presents a literature review addressing the shift in tourism, hospitality and leisure studies from a human/animal dualism and anthropocentrism focus to a recognition and inclusion of animals’ perspectives. It develops a set of guidelines for a methodology intended to underpin research about and involving animals, inspired by the ecofeminist care tradition and elaborated on in light of the reviewed literature and the author’s personal experience. Three main approaches are identified: fictional, multispecies ethnography and multispecies technology-based approaches