Multi-tops at the LHC

The experiments at the LHC are searching for many different final states that can hint to the presence of new physics beyond the Standard Model. One of the most interesting and promising sectors for these searches is that of the top quark, for both theoretical and phenomenological reasons linked to its large mass and to its possible special role in the electroweak symmetry breaking sector. We suggest that multi-top events, beyond the standard $t$-$\bar t$ and four top searches, can bring further insight in constraining and discovering physics beyond the Standard Model, taking advantage of experimental techniques similar to those used in present top-quark analyses. This is relevant both for the next data taking runs at the LHC and even more at higher luminosity and higher energy collider options, which are discussed for future LHC upgrades and future accelerators. In particular we consider six top and eight top final states, discussing the generic colour representations for beyond the Standard Model particles giving rise to those final state. We also discuss the limits which can be extracted by using the present analyses sensitive to four top final states, as well as the potential bounds from new searches we propose to experimental collaborations as an alternative.Comment: 16 page

Gender stereotypes and the apology in a small state : uncovering Creole male stereotypes in the Seychelles using digital matched-guise methodology

Recent research in the Seychelles speaks of a “growing crisis of masculinity”, manifested in statistics such as a ten-year life expectancy difference in favour of women, alarmingly high levels of substance abuse amongst younger men, and underachievement of boys in schools. According to the authors, males are generally disempowered by stereotypical views of males as “irresponsible”, “unreliable” and “secondary to women”. Similar gender patterns have been observed in other ex-slavery Creole cultures such as the small states in the Caribbean, and some scholars argue that these structures have historical origins dating back to slavery. In this study, we seek to explore aspects of Seychellois stereotypes of masculinity through so-called matched-guise experiments. Through digital manipulations of voice quality, we produce identity-warped male and female versions of the same monologue recording – a short apology. We then asked respondents to listen to the recordings and respond to the same in a short online questionnaire, where we ask questions relating to their impressions of the apology and the speaker. Dimensions here include honesty-dishonesty; politenessimpoliteness; weakness-strength; and reliability-unreliability. Differences in results of responses to male and female versions of the apology give strong indications that Seychellois stereotypically view males as dishonest, unreliable, lazy and careless. We discuss potential origins and consequences of such constructions, and propose awareness-raising measures for how these destructive historically produced scripts of gender can be rewritten.peer-reviewe

Dark matter and localised fermions from spherical orbifolds?

We study a class of six-dimensional models based on positive curvature surfaces (spherical 2-orbifolds) as extra-spaces. Using the Newman-Penrose formalism, we discuss the particle spectrum in this class of models. The fermion spectrum problem, which has been addressed with flux compactifications in the past, can be avoided using localised fermions. In this framework, we find that there are four types of geometry compatible with the existence of a stable dark matter candidate and we study the simplest case in detail. Using the complementarity between collider resonance searches and relic density constraints, we show that this class of models is under tension, unless the model lies in a funnel region characterised by a resonant Higgs s-channel in the dark matter annihilation.Comment: 38 pages, 7 figure

Extended Kalman filter for attitude estimation of the earth radiation budget satellite

The design and testing of an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) for ground attitude determination, misalignment estimation and sensor calibration of the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) are described. Attitude is represented by the quaternion of rotation and the attitude estimation error is defined as an additive error. Quaternion normalization is used for increasing the convergence rate and for minimizing the need for filter tuning. The development of the filter dynamic model, the gyro error model and the measurement models of the Sun sensors, the IR horizon scanner and the magnetometers which are used to generate vector measurements are also presented. The filter is applied to real data transmitted by ERBS sensors. Results are presented and analyzed and the EKF advantages as well as sensitivities are discussed. On the whole the filter meets the expected synergism, accuracy and robustness

What difference a 'pre' makes: University business preincubators in Germany. A national survey

Business incubation as an instrument of fostering new venture formation is widely discussed in the research field of entrepreneurship. Numerous aspects of Business Incubators (BIs) have already been investigated in more depth: e.g. the organizational structure, funding, objectives, provided services, incubatee selection policy, impacts on the survival and growth of incubatee firms etc. So far, researchers focused their work on public-sponsored, private-sponsored, and nonprofit-sponsored BIs as well as on university-related BIs. In the case of University Business Incubators (UBIs) research basically circulated around the question of how UBIs can support technology transfer. This paper focuses on a new type of UBI: the University Business Pre-Incubator (UPI). UPIs are facilities that support embryonic businesses during their planning stage by providing office space, consultancy and training, and mentoring services. In the scope of a comprehensive support program of the German government called 'EXIST - Existenzgruendungen aus der Wissenschaft' that started in 1998, a couple of German universities established pre-incubators to assist the development of new enterprises. So despite the lack of research literature concerning business-related pre-incubators, in practice, these institutions play an important role for German universities in fostering new ventures. This paper tries to make a substantial contribution to reduce the knowledge gap in the research area of UPIs. After defining the facility 'University Business Pre-Incubator' based on metaphorical considerations and the business incubation literature, the paper presents results from a national survey of UPIs in Germany. On the one hand these results show that UPI's organization differs in many aspects: size, age, planned time horizon, and total financial volume. On the other hand similarities could be identified, such as: UPIs offer consultancy, training, mentoring and coaching services, set requirements for accessing the UPI program, have common target groups, and are integrated in external as well as internal networks. In addition, a case study of the UPI 'Gruendungslabor' is presented before motivating possible fields for future research

Pedagogical cultivation in primary school : knowledge practice and harvest for the school food of the future

Livsmedelsproduktionen står för ungefär 26 procent av världens globala utsläpp av växthusgaser och har därmed en stor inverkan på planetens klimat och ekosystem. Sverige importerar majoriteten av de grönsaker och frukter som konsumeras i landet. Långa transportsträckor och sämre reglering kring metoderna för livsmedelsproduktion bidrar till att import av grönsaker och frukt i regel har större klimatpåverkan än lokalproducerade alternativ. Denna studie undersöker hur medvetenheten kring livsmedelsproduktion och intresset för hållbara livsmedelsvanor kan befästas hos skolungdomar. Kunskap är en nyckel till förändring och det finns stor potential i att medvetandegöra de kommande generationerna i dessa frågor. I denna studie presenteras Livsmedelsverkets pågående arbete, ”Ett nytt recept för skolmåltiden”, som har ambitionen att utveckla skolmatsystemet mot en mer hållbar riktning. Vidare undersöks olika former av samarbeten mellan livsmedelsproducenter och aktörer i skolans värld. Det kan konstateras att olika typer av ”farm to school”-projekt påverkar elevers förståelse för livsmedelskedjan, hållbar mat och vikten hälsosamma kostvanor. Elevers preferenser och intresse för att prova nya livsmedel ökar också vid implementering av odlingsprojekt i skolmiljön. Detta arbete lägger också fokus på den pedagogiska potentialen, hur lärare i olika ämnen kan angripa och jobba med ett odlingsprojekt som plattform. Avslutningsvis redovisas fyra aktiva lärares synpunkter kring möjligheten att genomföra odlingsprojekt i en svensk skolkontext. Denna del av studien fokuserar främst på möjligheten att integrera ordinarie undervisning i ett potentiellt hydroponiskt odlingsprojekt av bladgrönsaker med ambitionen att öka elevernas förståelse, erfarenhet och kunskap kring det svenska livsmedelssystemet.Food production accounts for approximately 26 percent of the world's global greenhouse gas emissions and thus has a major impact on the planet's climate and ecosystem. Sweden imports the majority of the vegetables and fruits consumed in the country. Long transport distances and poorer regulation of methods for food production contribute to the fact that import of vegetables and fruit generally having a greater climate impact compared to locally produced alternatives. This study examines how awareness of food production and the interest in sustainable food habits can be cemented in children and young adults. Knowledge and skills are key to change and there is a great potential in making future generations aware of these issues. This study presents the National Food Administration's ongoing work “A new recipe for school meals”, which has the ambition to develop the school food system in a more sustainable direction. Furthermore, various forms of collaborations between food producers and actors in the school world are examined. It can be stated that different types of “farm to school” projects affect students' understanding of the food chain, sustainable food and the importance of healthy eating habits. Students' preferences and interest in trying new foods also increase when implementing cultivation projects in the school environment. This thesis the focuses on the power of education in primary and secondary schools, namely, how how teachers in different subjects can approach and work with a cultivation project as a platform. The perspectives of four active teachers on the possibility to integrate cultivation projects in a Swedish school context are presented. The latter part of the study focuses mainly on the possibility of integrating ordinary teaching in a potential hydroponic cultivation project of leafy vegetables with ambitions to develop students' understanding, experience and knowledge of the Swedish food system

New analysis of WikiLeaks documents shows that intelligence-gathering at Guantánamo has been ineffective

The US has maintained a military prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba for more than 14 years, with the stated aim of detaining and interrogating suspected terrorists which have been captured by the US. In new research which uses a dataset of information published by WikiLeaks, Emanuel Deutschmann finds that the prison has been largely ineffective in its intelligence-gathering mission. He writes that the dataset shows that nearly two thirds of inmates revealed no information about their fellow detainees, meaning that calls from politicians to send suspected terrorists to Guantánamo Bay to gain information from them are unrealistic