Measurements of the relative branching fractions of the B+→ppˉK+B^{+} \to p \bar p K^{+} decay channel including charmonium contributions

The study of the $B^{+}\to p \bar p K^{+}$ decay channel at LHCb offers great opportunities to study different aspects of the Standard Model and possibly Beyond Standard Model physics. In particular it can be interesting not only for the possibility to measure CP asymmetry but also to study possible intermediate resonances. The ratios of the branching fractions of the $B^{+}\to p \bar p K^{+}$ decay channel, of the charmless component with M_{p\bar p} < 2.85\unitm{GeV/}c^{2} and of the charmonium contribution $\eta_{c}$ relative to the $J/\psi$ are presented.Comment: Presented at the 2011 Hadron Collider Physics symposium (HCP-2011), Paris, France, November 14-18 2011, 3 pages, 4 figur

CP violation in the B mesons at hadron colliders

CP violation measurements are a good way to test the validity of the Standard Model where CP violation phenomena are described by the CKM mechanism. A selection of recent measurements of CP violating observables in the decays of beauty hadrons performed at the hadronic colliders is presented

State-Owned Enterprises' Reforms and their Implications for the Resilience and Vulnerability of the Chinese Economy: Evidence from the Banking, Energy and Telecom Sectors

This paper explores how policies of market liberalization and partial privatization of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) involved in the production and provision of key inputs – banking, energy and telecom – affect the vulnerability and resilience of an economy. SOEs’ response to such policy changes and their ability to operate under the new market conditions are crucial for maintaining quality and continuity in the supply of intermediate goods and services that underlie the functioning of the economy and society. The paper analyses this issue in the context of Chinese SOEs’ reforms. It finds that privatization and liberalization in China have been designed (i) to strengthen the economy’s resilience, as access to private capital and foreign markets has contributed to companies’ growth and to increase the stock and quality of critical infrastructure for the country; but also (ii) to minimize the vulnerabilities that arise from such policies, by envisaging measures against volatility in capital markets and the destabilizing effect of market competition through ad hoc regulation. The paper may prove relevant for the next steps of Chinese SOEs’ reforms and its findings might find applicability in other geographical contexts as well

Study of three-body charmless decays at LHCb

Charmless three-body B decays are of interest to measure CP asymmetry and also to search for possible new physics Beyond the Standard Model. Three-body baryonic decays offer the possibility to study intermediate resonances. The study performed at LHCb and the results obtained using the 2010 35 pb−1 data sample are presented

Study of B± → p¯pK± decay at LHCb

The study of B± → p¯pK± decay channel at LHCb offers great opportunities to study Standard Model and Beyond the Standard Model physics. The selection procedure implemented to extract the signal from background is described. The expected sensitivity on the measurement of the branching ratios is discussed

The Future of RICH Detectors through the Light of the LHCb RICH

The limitations in performance of the present RICH system in the LHCb experiment are given by the natural chromatic dispersion of the gaseous Cherenkov radiator, the aberrations of the optical system and the pixel size of the photon detectors. Moreover, the overall PID performance can be affected by high detector occupancy as the pattern recognition becomes more difficult with high particle multiplicities. This paper shows a way to improve performance by systematically addressing each of the previously mentioned limitations. These ideas are applied in the present and future upgrade phases of the LHCb experiment. Although applied to specific circumstances, they are used as a paradigm on what is achievable in the development and realisation of high precision RICH detectors

Out of Nothing A Novel.

Ph.D. Thesis. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 2017

Mechanical and physical characterization of papercrete as new eco-friendly construction material

The manufacturing of Portland cement is responsible for a big amount of energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. Therefore, to date, it is imperative to find alternative materials to replace a major part of cement for sustainable concrete constructions. The present study forms a part of an on-going research project on the application of new cementitious matrices produced using different types of recycled materials. In particular, it focuses on the use of pulp and waste paper to partially replace Portland cement at varying percentages for producing a new lightweight mortar, frequently named papercrete. The development of this economical and eco-friendly material may permit of recycling a big amount of waste paper leading to lower housing costs with also ecological benefits. To this scope, an experimental campaign in the laboratory is carried out to characterize this new innovative material from a physical and mechanical point of view. The preliminary results of this on-going experimental campaign are illustrated and commented on in this paper. The obtained results confirm the possibility of applying this partially-recycled material as a possible alternative for strengthening existing panels of masonry

Beyond “Austerity vs. Expansion”: Elements for a Structural Theory of Liquidity Policy

Recent years have been marked by a sustained, often inconclusive, debate between two opposing views of economic policy. Economists mainly concerned about the economic fluctuations associated with inflationary pressures, credit bubbles and bankruptcies, have turned to "austerity policies" as ways to restore confidence and make investment decisions attractive. On the other hand, other economists worried about deflationary pressures, liquidity shortages and unemployment have turned to expansionary policies designed to create a virtuous circle of consumer and investor confidence, leading to higher overall spending and self-sustaining growth. This article argues that a conceptual shift is needed to provide an adequate explanation of the fluctuations in a modern industrial economy and to provide effective guidance for stabilization and growth policy in the short and medium term. The article draws attention to the structural theory of economic fluctuations and crises formulated at the turn of the 20th century and suggests that this theory provides the conceptual elements needed to overcome the micro-macro dichotomy and understand the differentiated response patterns to shocks characterizing industrial economies. The article lays the groundwork for future discussions, highlighting the central role of aggregation levels and sectoral interdependencies as a mechanism for generating macroeconomic relations. It then examines the structural asymmetries that characterize economic dynamics, as well as the resulting opportunities and constraints of economic policy. The article concludes with the presentation of the elements of a structural theory of liquidity policy and its implications for the relationship between austerity and stimulation as a means of stabilization

Structural liquidity: The money-industry nexus

This paper addresses the relationship between liquidity and production activity. It argues that this relationship becomes fully evident only if one considers intermediate levels of aggregation, and in particular stages of production within each industrial sector and their interdependence across sectors. To illustrate this, the paper introduces the concept of structural liquidity, which denotes material funds that are endogenously formed within the productive system before one considers the provision of liquidity by means of money. Structural liquidity is analyzed by combining (i) the representation of the productive system as an arrangement of fabrication stages sequentially related in time; and (ii) the representation of the productive system as a set of interdependent industrial sectors. The analysis identifies the structural liquidity problem as the need to satisfy both a viability condition (deriving from sectoral interdependencies) and a full employment condition (deriving from the sequencing of fabrication stages). The analysis highlights previously unexplored trade-offs, which have wide-ranging implications for monetary and liquidity policy