Upgrade of the BOC for the ATLAS Pixel Insertable B-Layer

The phase 1 upgrade of the ATLAS [1] pixel detector will be done by inserting a fourth pixel layer together with a new beampipe into the recent three layer detector. This new detector, the Insertable B-Layer (IBL) should be integrated into the recent pixel system with as few changes in services as possible, but deliver some advantages over the recent system. One of those advantages will be a new data transmission link from the detector modules to the off-detector electronics, requiring a re-design of the electro-optical converters on the off-detector side. First ideas of how to implement those, together with some ideas to reduce cost by increasing the systems throughput are discussed

Thinking about going to the dentist: a Contemplation Ladder to assess dentally-avoidant individuals' readiness to go to a dentist

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Transtheoretical Model suggests that individuals vary according to their readiness to change behavior. Previous work in smoking cessation and other health areas suggests that interventions are more successful when they are tailored to an individual's stage of change with regards to the specific behavior. We report on the performance of a single-item measure ("Ladder") to assess the readiness to change dental-avoidant behavior.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>An existing Contemplation Ladder for assessing stage of change in smoking cessation was modified to assess readiness to go to a dentist. The resulting Ladder was administered to samples of English-speaking adolescents (USA), Spanish-speaking adults (USA), and Norwegian military recruits (Norway) in order to assess construct validity. The Ladder was also administered to a sample of English-speaking avoidant adolescents and young adults who were enrolled in an intervention study (USA) in order to assess criterion validity. All participants also had dental examinations, and completed other questionnaires. Correlations, chi square, t tests and one-way ANOVAs were used to assess relationships between variables.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In two samples, participants who do not go to the dentist had significantly more teeth with caries; in a third sample, participants who do not go to the dentist had significantly worse caries. Ladder scores were not significantly related to age, gender, caries, or dental fear. However, Ladder scores were significantly related to statements of intention to visit a dentist in the future and the importance of oral health. In a preliminary finding, Ladder scores at baseline also predicted whether or not the participants decided to go to a dentist in the intervention sample.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The data provide support for the convergent and divergent construct validity of the Ladder, and preliminary support for its criterion validity. The lack of relationship between dental fear and Ladder scores suggests that avoidant individuals may be helped to decide to go to a dentist using interventions which do not explicitly target their fear.</p

Electroreduction of Carbon Dioxide to Hydrocarbons Using Bimetallic Cu–Pd Catalysts with Different Mixing Patterns

Electrochemical conversion of CO₂ holds promise for utilization of CO₂ as a carbon feedstock and for storage of intermittent renewable energy. Presently Cu is the only metallic electrocatalyst known to reduce CO₂ to appreciable amounts of hydrocarbons, but often a wide range of products such as CO, HCOO^–, and H₂ are formed as well. Better catalysts that exhibit high activity and especially high selectivity for specific products are needed. Here a range of bimetallic Cu–Pd catalysts with ordered, disordered, and phase-separated atomic arrangements (Cu_at:Pd_at = 1:1), as well as two additional disordered arrangements (Cu3Pd and CuPd3 with Cu_at:Pd_at = 3:1 and 1:3), are studied to determine key factors needed to achieve high selectivity for C1 or C2 chemicals in CO₂ reduction. When compared with the disordered and phase-separated CuPd catalysts, the ordered CuPd catalyst exhibits the highest selectivity for C1 products (>80%). The phase-separated CuPd and Cu3Pd achieve higher selectivity (>60%) for C2 chemicals than CuPd3 and ordered CuPd, which suggests that the probability of dimerization of C1 intermediates is higher on surfaces with neighboring Cu atoms. Based on surface valence band spectra, geometric effects rather than electronic effects seem to be key in determining the selectivity of bimetallic Cu–Pd catalysts. These results imply that selectivities to different products can be tuned by geometric arrangements. This insight may benefit the design of catalytic surfaces that further improve activity and selectivity for CO₂ reduction