NLO predictions for a lepton, missing transverse momentum and dijets at the Tevatron

n this letter we investigate the various processes that can contribute to a final state consisting of a lepton, missing transverse momentum and two jets at Next to Leading Order (NLO) at the Tevatron. In particular we consider the production of W/Z + 2 jets, diboson pairs, single top and the tt process with both fully leptonic and semi-leptonic decays. We present distributions for the invariant mass of the dijet system and normalisations of the various processes, accurate to NLO.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Simple fish-eye calibration method with accuracy evaluation

In this paper, a simple fish-eye radial distortion calibration procedure is described. This method avoids costly minimisation and optimisation algorithms, and is based on trivial concentricity of three extracted points. The results show that this simplicity is at the expense of increased deviation of results (and thus increased error). However, this deviation can be reduced significantly by the use of simple averaging, such that it is only marginally greater than the current state-of-the-art

Complexity and Context: Emerging Forms of Collaborative Inter-Organizational Systems

The paper analyses the collaborative development of emergent IOS in three data intensive industry sectors (telecommunications, news media, and financial services). The findings reveal that environmental complexities (the complexity of data consumption patterns and increased interdependence within value webs) require context-sensitive value exchanges operationalised within co-operatively developed commodity-like IT infrastructures. The paper concludes by examining the implications of the study findings for developing IOS to support pooled, sequential, and reciprocal inter-organisational interdependencies

Using XML Vocabularies to Exploit Changing Business Models: The NewsML Experience

In 1998, Reuters committed resources to exploring the use of XML (Extensible Markup Language) as the foundation for their next-generation news content management system. This was in response to changes in the news industry business model resulting from changing value webs and content delivery methods. The result was ReutersNewsML, an XML vocabulary for wrapping news content items from multiple sources into a single package. In 1999 Reuters submitted the concept to the International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC), which managed the development of the NewsML specification. NewsML was ratified as an IPTC standard for the entire global news media industry in 2000. This paper explores the development of NewsML as an illustration of how XML standards can be exploited within complex business webs

Complexity, Context, Commoditisation And Cooperation: Exploring Emerging XML-Based Inter-Organisational Systems

Inter-organisational systems (IOS) have traditionally been characterised as EDI-based ‘hub and spoke ’ models such as those connecting grocery retailers or large manufacturers with their suppliers. Increasing environmental complexity and technological innovation have led some organisational networks to explore more dynamic IOS models. This paper investigates emergent IOS models in three data intensive industry sectors (telecommunications, news media, and financial services). The findings illustrate that the complexity of data consumption patterns is driving increased interdependence within value webs requiring the co-operative development of context sensitive value exchanges and commodity-like IOS infrastructures.

Why do students not avail themselves of mathematics support?

The Mathematics Department at the National University of Ireland Maynooth has many supports in place to help students if they experience difficulties. These include small group tutorials, online refresher courses, workshops, and a successful drop-in mathematics support centre. Research has shown that students who take advantage of these services have a greater chance of succeeding in examinations than those who do not, (Mac an Bhaird, Morgan, and O’Shea 2009). However, a small minority of at-risk students do not take advantage of the support available. The aim of our study is to investigate the reasons why some students who are experiencing difficulties do not seek help

What type of student avails of mathematics support and extra mathematics initiatives?

Most mathematics support initiatives aim to help st ruggling or at-risk students. However, studies show that st udents who avail themselves of mathematics support vary both in term s of their ability and their reasons for seeking extra support. It is also well known that a considerable number of at-risk students do not avai l themselves of support services. To provide efficient and effecti ve supports it is important to have a description of the type of stud ents attending or not attending and the reasons why. We present an overv iew of the initial findings of two research projects on these topics. We will discuss preliminary findings from a study of repeat and non -repeat mathematics students which suggests several reasons (not necessarily related to ability) why students do not avail thems elves of mathematics support. We will also present evidence that at-ris k first year students are more likely to attend the Mathematics Support C entre than students who are not deemed to be at-risk. However , a significant minority of at-risk students do not avail themselve s of the supports offered

Re-Engineering a Financial Information Supply Chain with XBRL: An Exploratuon of Cooperative IOS Deisgn and Development

Financial markets worldwide have been experiencing dramatic changes since the mid-1990s. It has been claimed that XBRL, an XML vocabulary for business reporting, is capable of introducing greater integration and transparency into financial information systems, and thus addressing some of the challenges presented by these changes. This paper presents an exploratory case study of the cooperative design, development and implementation of an XBRL-enabled inter-organisational system (IOS) by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), the Reserve Bank of Australia (central bank) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to revolutionise reporting by financial institutions in Australia. The study describes how the three agencies modernised and harmonised reporting requirements through a gradual review of the reporting returns required by each agency. This harmonisation enabled the reengineering of the reporting process, as each financial institution now has to submit just one set of figures to meet the needs of all three agencies. The findings illustrate that the complexity of data consumption patterns drove increased interdependence within the financial information supply chain requiring the co-operative development of context sensitive data exchanges and commodity-like IT infrastructures. The paper concludes that the co-operative approach to IOS development exhibited in this study is likely to be more suited to the development of XBRL-enabled systems for financial information supply chains than the ‘hub and spoke’ model characteristic of IOS developments in other industrial sectors

How do students deal with difficulties in mathematics?

We report on a study carried out by the Mathematics Department at the National University of Ireland Maynooth to determine why students do or do not engage with mathematics support. Initial interviews were conducted with students who had failed first year. This paper gives preliminary findings from interviews with a second group of students who had passed first year. Students were chosen who had similar mathematical backgrounds to the first group and who had all engaged with mathematics. The students’ mathematical backgrounds do not appear to be the only major factor in determining engagement. We found that both groups experienced similar difficulties and problems. However, the second group had several different strategies or coping mechanisms to enable them to get through. We compare the two groups and will discuss some of these coping mechanisms in detail

Transfer of the central database and coordinating activities of EUROCAT to the JRC

In the framework of implementing European Commission's strategy in the field of rare diseases, the Directorate-General Joint Research Centre (DG JRC) and the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) signed in December 2013 the Administrative Arrangement (AA) on the "Development and Maintenance of the European Platform on Rare Diseases Registration". One objective of the AA is the transfer of the European-level coordination activities of EUROCAT to the JRC. EUROCAT is a network of 55 population-based registries in 33 countries acting in the epidemiological surveillance of congenital anomalies. It covers 1/3 of the European birth population which corresponds to more than 1.7 million births/year. The EUROCAT central database contains half a million cases of children with congenital anomalies. This data enables provision of prevalence, prenatal diagnosis and perinatal mortality data, detection of teratogenic exposures among others. It develops recommendations considered for primary prevention in the Rare Diseases National Plans for medicinal drugs, food/nutrition, lifestyle, health services, environmental pollution. These results are highly relevant for European public health and may require public health action. In order to offer a sustainable solution for the continuation of EUROCAT activities, to secure the results of former work and to keep the system functioning, it was agreed that EUROCAT becomes part of the European Platform on Rare Diseases Registration, since the diseases/conditions the network is dealing with belong to the category 'rare'. This report presents the preparation phase, the negotiations and the procedures carried out for the effective transfer of the EUROCAT Central Registry including the central database and the coordinating activities to the JRC. The different types of activities and the involvement of different services (legal, IT, information security, procurement) in a concerted action are detailed. The establishment of the new JRC-EUROCAT Central Registry (CR) located at the JRC, Directorate F – Health, Consumers and Reference Materials, Health in Society Unit (former Institute for Health and Consumers Protection, Public Health Policy Support Unit) since 1st of January 2015 corresponds to the "data repository" function of the Rare Diseases Platform. The CR activities including collection of data from the registries, data management, communication with the registries, production of dissemination materials, management of the website are described. In addition, the role and functioning of the new joint JRC-EUROCAT Management Committee and JRC's role in supporting also other activities of the network (meetings of Registry Leaders, Coding Committee, Working Groups, etc.) are presented. The accomplishment of the transfer is a milestone in the development of the European Platform on Rare Diseases Registration.JRC.F.1-Health in Societ