PICOSEC: Charged particle timing at sub-25 picosecond precision with a Micromegas based detector

The prospect of pileup induced backgrounds at the High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) has stimulated intense interest in developing technologies for charged particle detection with accurate timing at high rates. The required accuracy follows directly from the nominal interaction distribution within a bunch crossing ( σz∼5 cm, σt∼170 ps). A time resolution of the order of 20–30 ps would lead to significant reduction of these backgrounds. With this goal, we present a new detection concept called PICOSEC, which is based on a “two-stage” Micromegas detector coupled to a Cherenkov radiator and equipped with a photocathode. First results obtained with this new detector yield a time resolution of 24 ps for 150 GeV muons, and 76 ps for single photoelectrons.Peer Reviewe

Electroweak corrections to top-quark pair production in quark--antiquark annihilation

Top-quark physics plays an important role at hadron colliders such as the Tevatron at Fermilab or the LHC at CERN. Given the planned precision at these colliders, precise theoretical predictions are required. In this paper we present the complete electroweak corrections to QCD-induced top-quark pair production in quark--antiquark annihilation. In particular we provide compact analytic expressions for the differential partonic cross section, which will be useful for further theoretical investigations

Minimum cost performance-based seismic design of reinforced concrete frames with pushover and nonlinear response-history analysis

Previous studies compare results of pushover and nonlinear response-history analysis of predesigned reinforced concrete frames. The present study employs nonlinear response-history analysis and pushover analysis with the N2 method in a computational framework for the optimum performancebased seismic design of reinforced concrete frames according to the fib Model Code 2010 methodology and compares their obtained design solutions in terms of cost and structural performance. It is found that the minimum costs of pushover-based designs are similar to the costs from response-history analysis for regular frames but the pushover-based designs can be more expensive for irregular frames. Furthermore, the pushover-based designs are not guaranteed to satisfy performance objectives when subjected to response-history analysis even when more than one lateral load distributions are applied

Triangulations and Severi varieties

We consider the problem of constructing triangulations of projective planes over Hurwitz algebras with minimal numbers of vertices. We observe that the numbers of faces of each dimension must be equal to the dimensions of certain representations of the automorphism groups of the corresponding Severi varieties. We construct a complex involving these representations, which should be considered as a geometric version of the (putative) triangulations

Impact of water hardness on oxytetracycline oral bioavailability in fed and fasted piglets

Water hardness is a critical factor that affects oxytetracycline dissolution by chelation with cations. These interactions may lead to impaired dosing and consequently decrease absorption. Moreover, feed present in gastrointestinal tract may interact with antibiotic and alter pharmacokinetic parameters. In the present study, dissolution profiles of an oxytetracycline veterinary formulation were assessed in purified, soft and hard water. Furthermore, oxytetracycline absolute bioavailability, after oral administration of the drug dissolved in soft or hard water, was evaluated in fed and fasted piglets. A maximum dissolution of 86% and 80% was obtained in soft and hard water, respectively, while in purified water dissolution was complete. Results from in vivo study reconfirmed oxytetracycline´s very low oral bioavailability. The greatest values were attained when antibiotic was dissolved in soft water and in fasted animals. Statistically significant lower absolute bioavailability was achieved when hard water was used and/or animals were fed. Moreover, Cmax attained in all treatments was lower than MIC90 of most important swine pathogens. For these reasons, the oral use of OTC formulations, that have demonstrated low oral bioavailability, should be avoided to treat systemic diseases in pigs.Fil: Decundo, Julieta María. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencia Veterinarias. Departamento de Fisiopatología. Laboratorio de Toxicología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Dieguez, Susana Nelly. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencia Veterinarias. Departamento de Fisiopatología. Laboratorio de Toxicología; Argentina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Martínez, Guadalupe. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Fisiopatología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Romanelli, Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Fisiopatología; ArgentinaFil: Fernández Paggi, María Belén. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Fisiopatología; ArgentinaFil: Pérez, Denisa Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Fisiopatología; ArgentinaFil: Amanto, Fabian A.. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Producción Animal; ArgentinaFil: Soraci, Alejandro Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencia Veterinarias. Departamento de Fisiopatología. Laboratorio de Toxicología; Argentin

Knowledge, perceptions and myths regarding infertility among selected adult population in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The reported prevalence of infertility in Pakistan is approximately 22% with 4% primary and 18% secondary infertility. Infertility is not only a medical but also a social problem in our society as cultural customs and perceived religious dictums may equate infertility with failure on a personal, interpersonal, or social level. It is imperative that people have adequate knowledge about infertility so couples can seek timely medical care and misconceptions can be rectified.</p> <p>We aim to assess the knowledge, perception and myths regarding infertility and suggest ways to improve it.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional survey was carried out by interviewing a sample of 447 adults who were accompanying the patients at two tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. They were interviewed one-on-one with the help of a pretested questionnaire drafted by the team after a thorough literature review and in consultation with infertility specialists.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The correct knowledge of infertility was found to be limited amongst the participants. Only 25% correctly identified when infertility is pathological and only 46% knew about the fertile period in women's cycle. People are misinformed that use of IUCD (53%) and OCPs (61%) may cause infertility. Beliefs in evil forces and supernatural powers as a cause of infertility are still prevalent especially amongst people with lower level of education. Seeking alternative treatment for infertility remains a popular option for 28% of the participant as a primary preference and 75% as a secondary preference. IVF remains an unfamiliar (78%) and an unacceptable option (55%).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Knowledge about infertility is limited in the population and a lot of misconceptions and myths are prevalent in the society. Alternative medicine is a popular option for seeking infertility treatment. The cultural and religious perspective about assisted reproductive technologies is unclear, which has resulted in its reduced acceptability.</p

The Role of Macroprudential Policy for Financial Stability in East Asia’s Emerging Economies

This paper analyzes the role and scope of macroprudential policy in preventing financial instability in the context of East Asian economies. It analyzes the behavior of the housing market in a dynamic setting to identify some of the factors responsible for the volatility of housing markets and their susceptibility to boom-bust cycles, which it identifies as a key source of financial imbalances in these economies. It then discusses the causal nexus between price and financial stability and the roles and complementary nature of macroprudential and monetary policies in addressing aggregate risk in the financial system. The paper identifies currency and maturity mismatches, which contributed to the 1997 - 1998 Asian financial crisis, as ongoing concerns in these economies although the high levels of reserves in the region now act as a buffer

Commercial Bank Innovations in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Finance: Global Models and Implications for Thailand

In Thailand, the government has long recognized the importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the economy and has given a large amount of financial support to this sector. Still, SMEs are not able to catch up with larger enterprises and the constraints to SME financing remain the main topic of policy discussion today. Against this background, the important issue for Thailand may not be about the lack of financial assistance per se but about how to design an appropriate market-friendly business model and supporting scheme to help SMEs gain access to credit on a sustainable basis. Given the success of microfinance around the world, a large number of commercial banks have made a profitable business out of this sector. This paper explores various business models by commercial banks in microfinance and provides policy implications for Thailand. By making use of commercial banks' competitive advantage, Thailand can create a more market-friendly environment for SME financing. This will also ensure that lending to small-business clients is not a burden to the government and is self-sustaining in the long run