Cosmic Ray Physics with ACORDE at LHC

The use of large underground high-energy physics experiments, for comic ray studies, have been used, in the past, at CERN, in order to measure, precisely, the inclusive cosmic ray flux in the energy range from 2x10^10 - 2x10^12 eV. ACORDE, ALICE Cosmic Rays DEtector, will act as Level 0 cosmic ray trigger and, together with other ALICE apparatus, will provide precise information on cosmic rays with primary energies around 10^15 - 10^17 eV. This paper reviews the main detector features, the present status, commissioning and integration with other apparatus. Finally, we discuss the ACORDE-ALICE cosmic ray physics program.Comment: Contribution to the 2007 Europhysics Conference on High Energy Physics - Manchester, England 19-25 July 2007; 3 pages, 3 figure

Concentration in the Humanities

Concentration in the Humanities is a three-part project that helps Humanities students deal with digital distractions. The Concentration in the Humanities Project will serve as a pilot. Weber State's Composition Program (which one of the grant participants directs) will integrate the pilot's best practices into its curriculum. Concentration in the Humanities will also catalyze campus conversations about the problem of distraction in the digital age and the importance of learning how to focus when attempting to read or write

Algal culture studies related to a Closed Ecological Life Support System (CELSS)

Studies with algal cultures which relate to closed ecological life support systems (CELSS) are discussed. A description of a constant cell density apparatus for continuous culture of algae is included. Excretion of algal by-products, and nitrogen utilization and excretion are discussed

Ecological Inference with Entropy Econometrics: using the Mexican Census as a benchmark

Most regional empirical analyses are limited by the lack of data. Researchers have to use information that is structured in administrative or political regions which are not always economically meaningful. The non-availability of geographically disaggregated information prevents to obtain empirical evidence in order to answer some relevant questions in the field of urban and regional economics. The objective of this paper is to suggest an estimation procedure, based on entropy econometrics, which allows for inferring disaggregated information on local income from more aggregated data. In addition to a description of the main characteristics of the proposed technique, the paper illustrates how the procedure works taking as an empirical application the estimation of income for different classes of Mexican municipalities. It would be desirable to apply the suggested technique to a study case where some observable data are available and confront the estimates with the actual observations. For this purpose, we have taken the information contained in the Mexican census as a benchmark for our estimation technique. Assuming that the only available data are the income aggregates per type of municipality and State, we make an exercise of ecological inference and disaggregate these margins to recover individual (local) data.

High–Speed Data Transmission Subsystem of the SEOSAR/PAZ Satellite

This paper analyzes a digital interface and bus system modeling and optimization of the SEOSAR/PAZ Earth Observation satellite. The important part of the satellite is an X–band Synthetic Aperture Radar instrument that integrates 384 Transmit/Receive Modules located in 12 antenna panels 7.5 m away from the central processor and controlled by a synchronous 10 Mbps bidirectional serial protocol. This type of mid–range point–to–multipoint transmission is affected by bit errors due to crosstalk, transmission line attenuation and impedance mismatches. The high–speed data communication network has been designed to optimize the transmission by using a simulation model of the data distribution system which takes into account the worst–case scenario and by developing a lab–scaled prototype which exhibits BER of 10-11 for an interfering signal of 10 Vpp. The result is a point–to–multipoint bidirectional transmission network optimized in both directions with optimal values of loads and equalization resistors. This high–speed data transmission subsystem provides a compact design through a simple solution

Coupled equations for Kähler metrics and Yang-Mills connections

We study equations on a principal bundle over a compact complex manifold coupling a connection on the bundle with a Kahler structure on the base. These equations generalize the conditions of constant scalar curvature for a Kahler metric and Hermite-Yang-Mills for a connection. We provide a moment map interpretation of the equations and study obstructions for the existence of solutions, generalizing the Futaki invariant, the Mabuchi K-energy and geodesic stability. We finish by giving some examples of solutions.Comment: 61 pages; v2: introduction partially rewritten; minor corrections and improvements in presentation, especially in Section 4; added references; v3: To appear in Geom. Topol. Minor corrections and improvements, following comments by referee

Pathological video game playing in Spanish and British adolescents: towards the exploration of Internet Gaming Disorder symptomatology

Research into problematic video gaming has increased greatly over the last decade and many screening instruments have been developed to identify such behaviour. This study re-examined the Problematic Videogame Playing [PVP] Scale. The objectives of the study were to (i) examine its psychometric properties in two European countries, (ii) estimate the prevalence of potential pathological gaming among adolescents in both countries, and (iii) assess the classification accuracy of the PVP Scale based on its symptomatology as a way of exploring its relationship with both the behavioural component model of addiction and the proposed Internet Gaming Disorder. The data were collected via a survey administered to 2,356 adolescents aged between 11 and 18 years from Spain (n=1,132) and Great Britain (n=1,224). Results indicated that the reliability of both versions was adequate, and the factorial and construct validity were good. Findings also showed that the prevalence of pathological gamers estimated with a rigorous cut-off point was 7.7% for Spanish and 14.6% for British adolescents. The scale showed adequate sensitivity, specificity and classification accuracy in both countries, and was able to differentiate between social and potential pathological gamers, and from their addictive symptomatology. The implications of these findings are discussed

Tests of Power Corrections for Event Shapes in e+e- Annihilation

A study of perturbative QCD calculations combined with power corrections to model hadronisation effects is presented. The QCD predictions are fitted to differential distributions and mean values of event shape observables measured in e+e- annihilation at centre-of-mass energies from 14 to 189 GeV. We investigate the event shape observables thrust, heavy jet mass, C-parameter, total and wide jet broadening and differential 2-jet rate and observe a good description of the data by the QCD predictions. The strong coupling constant alpha_S(M_Z) and the free parameter of the power correction calculations alpha_0(2 GeV) are measured to be alpha_S(M_Z) = 0.1171 +/- 0.0032/0.0020 and alpha_0(2 GeV) = 0.513 +/- 0.066/0.045. The predicted universality of alpha_0 is confirmed within the uncertainties of the measurements.Comment: 28 pages, LaTeX2e, 21 .eps-files included, accepted by Eur. Phys. J.