NLO QCD corrections to graviton production at hadron colliders

Models with large extra dimensions predict the existence of Kaluza-Klein graviton resonances. We compute the next-to-leading order QCD corrections to graviton plus jet hadro-production, which is an important channel for graviton searches at the Tevatron and the LHC. The QCD corrections are sizable and lead to a significant reduction of the scale dependence. We present numerical results for cross sections and distributions, and discuss the uncertainty from parton distribution functions and the ultraviolet sensitivity of the theoretical prediction.Comment: 19 pages, 9 eps figures, v2: additional references and comments, new Fig. 9. Matches published version in Physical Review

Plasma dynamic synthesis of iron oxides in the «frequency operation» mode of coaxial magnetoplasma accelerator

It is known that the epsilon phase of iron oxide e-Fe2O3 has the highest value of coercive force among all known simple metal oxides (~24 kOe) and is characterized by ferromagnetic resonance in the frequency range from 100 to 200 GHz. The noted features determine the possibility of its wide application. However, there is the problem of synthesis and stabilization this crystal structure at room temperature. In this paper, we consider the possibility to obtain e-Fe2O3 by the plasma dynamic method when the system is operating in the frequency (multi-pulse) regime. The influence of the number power supply impulses on the phase composition of the synthesized products was studied using X-ray diffractometry

Time to go beyond interstate federalism - or something different? The response of new pro-European think tanks to the EU integration crisis

The European financial and economic crisis has shaken traditional beliefs and confidence in a one-directional move towards an ever closer union. Discussions regarding "Grexit" and the public vote in favor of "Brexit" have signaled strong anti-EU sentiment far beyond previous instances of dissatisfaction expressed by popular votes in France and the Netherlands opposing the European constitution, for example. Mainstream European integration scholars have started to seriously address disintegration theory; once a preserve of Marxist critiques of mainstream integration scholarship. European right-wing parties, foundations and think tanks openly advocate (partial) disintegration and, in particular, aim to interrupt centrist Social Democratic, Green, Liberal and Conservative cooperation in the European Parliament. What has been the response to these conceptual and political challenges from the pro-European political forces in European politics? In the shadow of Syriza's anti-austerity campaign from Greece and Podemos' grassroots mobilization in Spain, a range of new pro-European think tanks of different political-philosophical leanings have been founded after the crisis, or developed new activities in response to the crisis. The paper will examine the publications of organizations like European Alternatives, Project for a Democratic Europe and EuropaNova in order to observe if and how a new cross-cutting network of pro-European intellectuals, think tanks and ideas address the present crisis, and if and in which ways we can speak of new conceptual and political approaches to European integration that promise innovation and progressive (in the sense of pro-European integration) learning. Do they look beyond neoliberal restrictions to Europe's "sui generis" Union (Hayek's version of interstate federalism), something closer to real (fiscal) federalism - or something different? We will also examine if and how they differ from more centrist institutional efforts to envision the future, such as those uttered by Commission officials, MEPs of the Spinelli-Group, or experts like those assembled in the Glienicker Group. Last, but not least, we will try to establish if and to what extent new conceptual efforts reverberate in pro-European integration debating platforms like Publixphere, OneEurope or Krytyka Polityczna (Political Critique), which are considered more likely echo chambers for pro-European integration think tanks than mainstream media.Die europäische Finanz- und Wirtschaftskrise hat traditionelle Vorstellungen bezüglich der europäischen Integration und das Vertrauen in die Entwicklung in Richtung einer immer engeren Union erschüttert. Diskussionen über den "Grexit" und das Votum für den "Brexit" haben starke anti-europäische Stimmungen erkennen lassen, die weit über bisherige Unzufriedenheit, wie sie z.B. bei Volksabstimmungen in Frankreich und den Niederlanden gegen die europäische Verfassung zum Ausdruck kamen, hinausreichen. Der Mainstream Europäischer Integrationsforschung hat ernsthaft damit begonnen, Auflösungstheorien zu thematisieren, einst eine Domäne marxistischer Kritik an der etablierten Integrationsforschung. Rechtsgerichtete europäische Parteien, Stiftungen und Think-Tanks befürworten offen einen teilweisen Rückbau und beabsichtigen insbesondere, die Zusammenarbeit von gemäßigten Sozialdemokraten, Grünen, Liberalen und Konservativen im Europäischen Parlament zu beenden. Welche Antworten geben pro-europäische politische Kräfte in der europäischen Politik auf diese konzeptionellen und politischen Herausforderungen? Im Schatten der Syriza-Kampagne gegen die Sparpolitik in Griechenland und der Mobilisierung durch Podemos in Spanien wurden nach der Krise eine Reihe pro-europäischer Think-Tanks verschiedener politisch-ideologischer Ausrichtung gegründet oder haben neue Aktivitäten als Reaktion auf die Krise entwickelt. Der Beitrag untersucht die Publikationen von Organisationen wie European Alternatives, Project for a Democratic Europe und EuropaNova um festzustellen, ob und wie ein neues, übergreifendes Netzwerk pro-europäischer Intellektueller, Think-Tanks und Ideen die gegenwärtige Krise thematisiert. Dabei wird insbesondere gefragt, ob und in welcher Weise von neuen konzeptionellen und politischen Ansätzen zur europäischen Integration gesprochen werden kann, die Innovation und fortschrittliches Lernen (im Sinne von pro-europäischer Integration) versprechen. Gehen Beiträge über die neoliberalen Restriktionen der Europäischen "sui generis" Union hinaus (Hayeks Variante eines zwischenstaatlichen Föderalismus), etwa in Annäherung an europäischen (fiskalischen) Föderalismus - oder etwas anderes? Zur Einordnung der Beiträge der Think-Tanks werden diese mit Aussagen zur Zukunft der EU aus Studien im Kontext der europäischen Institutionen abgeglichen, darunter Beiträge von Kommissionsbeamten, Abgeordneten der Spinelli-Gruppe zur Arbeit des Europäischen Parlamentes sowie Fachleuten und Beratern z.B. der Glienicker Gruppe. Last but not least wird versucht zu ermitteln, ob und inwieweit sich die konzeptionelle Arbeit der Think-Tanks in pro-europäischen Diskussionsplattformen wie Publixphere, OneEurope oder Krytyka Polityczna (Political Critique) niederschlägt oder spiegelt. Diese kommen stärker als etwa nationale Printmedien als mögliche Echokammern der pro-europäischen Think-Tanks in Frage, weil Autorinnen und Autoren sowie Leser und Leserinnen als generell europainteressiert gelten können

The Cultural Politics of Proprietorship: The Socio-historical Evolution of Japanese Swordsmanship and its Correlation with Cultural Nationalism

This thesis provides a detailed socio-historical analysis of the evolutionary process of traditional Japanese swordsmanship (kenjutsu) from the inception of distinct martial schools (bugei-ryuha) in the fourteenth century, to its gradual progression into a modern competitive sport (kendo), and a subject of study in the current Japanese education system. The following questions with regards to the development of Japanese swordsmanship were analysed: 1) How did schools dedicated to the study of martial arts (bugei-ryuha) evolve, and why was the sword so important to the early traditions? 2) What was the process in which kenjutsu become “civilised”, and how did it relate to class identity in the Tokugawa period (1600-1868)? 3) In what way did kenjutsu transmute when class distinctions and national isolationist policies (sakoku) were abolished in the Meiji period (1868–1912)? 4) What were the cultural and political influences in the rise of “state” and “popular” nationalism, and how did they affect the “re-invention” and manipulation of kendo in the first half of the twentieth century? 5) How did post-war private and national cultural policy affect the reinstatement of kendo and its usefulness in inculcating a sense of “Japaneseness”? 6) What are the nationalistic motivations, and perceived dangers of the international propagation of kendo with regards to cultural propriotership? Through applying socio-historical concepts such as Norbert Elias’s “civilising process” and Eric Hobsbawm’s “invention of tradition”, as well as various descriptions of nationalism to the evolution of kendo, this thesis demonstrates how the martial art has continued to maintain a connection with the past, while simultaneously developing into a symbolic and discursive form of traditional culture representing a “cultural ethos” considered to be a manifestation of “Japaneseness”. Ultimately, kendo can be described as a kind of participatory based mind-body Nihonjinron. Japan’s current reaction as it ponders the repercussions if it were to somehow lose its status as the suzerain nation of kendo, i.e. as exclusive owners of kendo - a martial art perceived as one of the most representative forms of traditional Japanese culture – is also assessed in this thesis

Determining the Structure of Higgs Couplings at the LHC

Higgs boson production via weak boson fusion at the CERN Large Hadron Collider has the capability to determine the dominant CP nature of a Higgs boson, via the tensor structure of its coupling to weak bosons. This information is contained in the azimuthal angle distribution of the two outgoing forward tagging jets. The technique is independent of both the Higgs boson mass and the observed decay channel.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, version accepted for publication in PR

Improved Route to Linear Triblock Copolymers by Coupling with Glycidyl Ether-Activated Poly(ethylene oxide) Chains

Poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymers (PEO$_z$ BCP) have been demonstrated to exhibit remarkably high lithium ion (Li$^+$) conductivity for Li$^+$ batteries applications. For linear poly(isoprene)-b-poly(styrene)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymers (PI$_x$PS$_y$PEO$_z$), a pronounced maximum ion conductivity was reported for short PEO$_z$ molecular weights around 2 kg mol$^{−1}$. To later enable a systematic exploration of the influence of the PI$_x$ and PS$_y$ block lengths and related morphologies on the ion conductivity, a synthetic method is needed where the short PEO$_z$ block length can be kept constant, while the PI$_x$ and PS$_y$ block lengths could be systematically and independently varied. Here, we introduce a glycidyl ether route that allows covalent attachment of pre-synthesized glycidyl-end functionalized PEO$_z$ chains to terminate PI$_x$PS$_y$ BCPs. The attachment proceeds to full conversion in a simplified and reproducible one-pot polymerization such that PI$_x$PS$_y$PEO$_z$ with narrow chain length distribution and a fixed PEO$_z$ block length of z = 1.9 kg mol$^{−1}$ and a Đ = 1.03 are obtained. The successful quantitative end group modification of the PEO$_z$ block was verified by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). We demonstrate further that with a controlled casting process, ordered microphases with macroscopic long-range directional order can be fabricated, as demonstrated by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It has already been shown in a patent, published by us, that BCPs from the synthesis method presented here exhibit comparable or even higher ionic conductivities than those previously published. Therefore, this PEO$_z$ BCP system is ideally suitable to relate BCP morphology, order and orientation to macroscopic Li$^+$ conductivity in Li$^+$ batteries

The impact of an hematocrit of 20% during normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass for elective low risk coronary artery bypass graft surgery on oxygen delivery and clinical outcome – a randomized controlled study [ISRCTN35655335]

INTRODUCTION: Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) induces hemodilutional anemia, which frequently requires the transfusion of blood products. The objective of this study was to evaluate oxygen delivery and consumption and clinical outcome in low risk patients who were allocated to an hematocrit (Hct) of 20% versus 25% during normothermic CPB for elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. METHODS: This study was a prospective, randomized and controlled trial. Patients were subjected to normothermic CPB (35 to 36°C) and were observed until discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU). Outcome measures were calculated whole body oxygen delivery, oxygen consumption and clinical outcome. A nonparametric multivariate analysis of variance for repeated measurements and small sample sizes was performed. RESULTS: In a total of 54 patients (25% Hct, n = 28; 20% Hct, n = 26), calculated oxygen delivery (p = 0.11), oxygen consumption (p = 0.06) and blood lactate (p = 0.60) were not significantly different between groups. Clinical outcomes were not different between groups. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that an Hct of 20% during normothermic CPB maintained calculated whole body oxygen delivery above a critical level after elective CABG surgery in low risk patients. The question of whether a transfusion trigger in excess of 20% Hct during normothermic CPB is still supported requires a larger prospective and randomized trial

Dosimetric precision of an ion beam tracking system

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Scanned ion beam therapy of intra-fractionally moving tumors requires motion mitigation. GSI proposed beam tracking and performed several experimental studies to analyse the dosimetric precision of the system for scanned carbon beams.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A beam tracking system has been developed and integrated in the scanned carbon ion beam therapy unit at GSI. The system adapts pencil beam positions and beam energy according to target motion.</p> <p>Motion compensation performance of the beam tracking system was assessed by measurements with radiographic films, a range telescope, a 3D array of 24 ionization chambers, and cell samples for biological dosimetry. Measurements were performed for stationary detectors and moving detectors using the beam tracking system.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All detector systems showed comparable data for a moving setup when using beam tracking and the corresponding stationary setup. Within the target volume the mean relative differences of ionization chamber measurements were 0.3% (1.5% standard deviation, 3.7% maximum). Film responses demonstrated preserved lateral dose gradients. Measurements with the range telescope showed agreement of Bragg peak depth under motion induced range variations. Cell survival experiments showed a mean relative difference of -5% (-3%) between measurements and calculations within the target volume for beam tracking (stationary) measurements.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The beam tracking system has been successfully integrated. Full functionality has been validated dosimetrically in experiments with several detector types including biological cell systems.</p