Road Safety Valuation under a Stated Choice Framework

The value of fatal risk reductions is a vital input for road safety cost-benefit analysis. It has been traditionally estimated by means of contingent valuation in spite of growing criticism surrounding this approach. Furthermore, many believe that risk-money trade-offs are not well understood due to the difficulty in internalizing tiny risks. We have succeeded in applying the Stated Choice (SC) approach to tackle this problem, using as one of the attributes the number of accidents with fatal victims (i.e. a proxy for risk). To assess the robustness of SC, we conducted an external validity test based on results for three different studies. We investigated if preferences were well defined according to economic theory (i.e. as initial risk increases, the marginal willingness-to-pay should be higher). We also addressed the generally ignored issue of whether there should be a unique value of fatal risk reductions. We found that people can internalize risk consistently from an economic viewpoint, and that although each sample yields different values of risk reductions, there was a relationship between the risk level and the value of risk reductions in each context examined; this evidence could be most helpful within the context of developing countries. Finally, we offer an hypothesis to explain the differences between our values with those obtained in industrialised countries, highlighting the importance of doing local studies rather than transferring imported values

Using compositional mixed-effects models to evaluate responses to amino acid supplementation in milk replacers for calves

The consequences of supplementing Lys, Met, and Thr in milk replacers (MR) for calves have been widely studied, but scarce information exists about potential roles of other AA (whether essential or not). The effects on growth performance of supplementation of 4 different AA combinations in a mixed ration (25.4% crude protein and 20.3% fat) based on skim milk powder and whey protein concentrate were evaluated in 76 Holstein male calves (3 ± 1.7 d old). The 4 MR were as follows: CTRL with no AA supplementation; PG, supplying additional 0.3% Pro and 0.1% Gly; FY, supplying additional 0.2% Phe and 0.2% Tyr; and KMT, providing additional 0.62% Lys, 0.22% Met, and 0.61% Thr. All calves were fed the same milk allowance program and were weaned at 56 d of study. Concentrate intake was limited to minimize interference of potential differences in solid feed intake among treatments. Animals were weighed weekly, intakes recorded daily, and blood samples obtained at 2, 5, and 7 wk of study to determine serum urea and plasma AA concentrations. Plasma AA concentrations were explored using compositional data analysis, and their isometric log-ratio transformations were used to analyze their potential influence on ADG and serum urea concentration using a linear mixed-effects model. We detected no differences in calf performance and feed intake. Plasma relative concentration of the AA supplemented in the KMT and PG treatments increased in their respective treatments, and, in PG calves, a slight increase in the proportion of plasma Gly, Glu, and branched-chain AA was also observed. The proportions of plasma branched-chain AA, His, and Gln increased, and those of Thr, Arg, Lys, and Glu decreased with calves' age. A specific log-contrast balance formed by Arg, Thr, and Lys was found to be the main driver for lowering serum urea concentrations and increasing calf growth. The use of compositional mixed-effects models identified a cluster formed by the combination of Arg, Thr, and Lys, as a potential AA to optimize calf growth.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The role of ketamine in major depressive disorders: Effects on parvalbumin-positive interneurons in hippocampus

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex illness that is arising as a growing public health concern. Although several brain areas are related to this type of disorders, at the cellular level, the parvalbumin-positive cells of the hippocampus interplay a very relevant role. They control pyramidal cell bursts, neuronal networks, basic microcircuit functions, and other complex neuronal tasks involved in mood disorders. In resistant depressions, the efficacy of current antidepressant treatments drops dramatically, so the new rapid-acting antidepressants (RAADs) are being postulated as novel treatments. Ketamine at subanesthetic doses and its derivative metabolites have been proposed as RAADs due to their rapid and sustained action by blocking N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, which in turn lead to the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This mechanism produces a rapid plasticity activation mediated by neurotransmitter homeostasis, synapse recovery, and increased dendritic spines and therefore, it is a promising therapeutic approach to improve cognitive symptoms in MDD.Fil: Barrutieta Arberas, I.. Universidad del País Vasco; EspañaFil: Ortuzar, N.. Universidad del País Vasco; EspañaFil: Vaquero Rodríguez, A.. Universidad del País Vasco; EspañaFil: Picó-Gallardo, M.. Universidad del País Vasco; EspañaFil: Bengoetxea, H.. Universidad del País Vasco; EspañaFil: Guevara, M. A.. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Gargiulo, Pascual Angel. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza; ArgentinaFil: Lafuente, J. V.. Universidad del País Vasco; Españ

Murine femur micro-computed tomography and biomechanical datasets for an ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis model

The development of new effective and safer therapies for osteoporosis, in addition to improved diagnostic and prevention strategies, represents a serious need in the scientific community. Micro-CT image-based analyses in association with biomechanical testing have become pivotal tools in identifying osteoporosis in animal models by assessment of bone microarchitecture and resistance, as well as bone strength. Here, we describe a dataset of micro-CT scans and reconstructions of 15 whole femurs and biomechanical tests on contralateral femurs from C57BL/6JOlaHsd ovariectomized (OVX), resembling human post-menopausal osteoporosis, and sham operated (sham) female mice. Data provided for each mouse include: the acquisition images (.tiff), the reconstructed images (.bmp) and an.xls file containing the maximum attenuations for each reconstructed image. Biomechanical data include an.xls file with the recorded load-displacement, a movie with the filmed test and an.xls file collecting all biomechanical results.This study was funded by Basque Country government under the ELKARTEK program No. kk-2018/00031/BC and No. kk-2019/00093/BC

Measurement of χ c1 and χ c2 production with s√ = 7 TeV pp collisions at ATLAS

The prompt and non-prompt production cross-sections for the χ c1 and χ c2 charmonium states are measured in pp collisions at s√ = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC using 4.5 fb−1 of integrated luminosity. The χ c states are reconstructed through the radiative decay χ c → J/ψγ (with J/ψ → μ + μ −) where photons are reconstructed from γ → e + e − conversions. The production rate of the χ c2 state relative to the χ c1 state is measured for prompt and non-prompt χ c as a function of J/ψ transverse momentum. The prompt χ c cross-sections are combined with existing measurements of prompt J/ψ production to derive the fraction of prompt J/ψ produced in feed-down from χ c decays. The fractions of χ c1 and χ c2 produced in b-hadron decays are also measured

Measurement of the production of a W boson in association with a charm quark in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The production of a W boson in association with a single charm quark is studied using 4.6 fb−1 of pp collision data at s√ = 7 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. In events in which a W boson decays to an electron or muon, the charm quark is tagged either by its semileptonic decay to a muon or by the presence of a charmed meson. The integrated and differential cross sections as a function of the pseudorapidity of the lepton from the W-boson decay are measured. Results are compared to the predictions of next-to-leading-order QCD calculations obtained from various parton distribution function parameterisations. The ratio of the strange-to-down sea-quark distributions is determined to be 0.96+0.26−0.30 at Q 2 = 1.9 GeV2, which supports the hypothesis of an SU(3)-symmetric composition of the light-quark sea. Additionally, the cross-section ratio σ(W + +c¯¯)/σ(W − + c) is compared to the predictions obtained using parton distribution function parameterisations with different assumptions about the s−s¯¯¯ quark asymmetry

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections for Higgs boson production in the diphoton decay channel at s√=8 TeV with ATLAS

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections are presented for Higgs boson production in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s√=8 TeV. The analysis is performed in the H → γγ decay channel using 20.3 fb−1 of data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The signal is extracted using a fit to the diphoton invariant mass spectrum assuming that the width of the resonance is much smaller than the experimental resolution. The signal yields are corrected for the effects of detector inefficiency and resolution. The pp → H → γγ fiducial cross section is measured to be 43.2 ±9.4(stat.) − 2.9 + 3.2 (syst.) ±1.2(lumi)fb for a Higgs boson of mass 125.4GeV decaying to two isolated photons that have transverse momentum greater than 35% and 25% of the diphoton invariant mass and each with absolute pseudorapidity less than 2.37. Four additional fiducial cross sections and two cross-section limits are presented in phase space regions that test the theoretical modelling of different Higgs boson production mechanisms, or are sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model. Differential cross sections are also presented, as a function of variables related to the diphoton kinematics and the jet activity produced in the Higgs boson events. The observed spectra are statistically limited but broadly in line with the theoretical expectations

Search for squarks and gluinos in events with isolated leptons, jets and missing transverse momentum at s√=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The results of a search for supersymmetry in final states containing at least one isolated lepton (electron or muon), jets and large missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. The search is based on proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy s√=8 TeV collected in 2012, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20 fb−1. No significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed. Limits are set on supersymmetric particle masses for various supersymmetric models. Depending on the model, the search excludes gluino masses up to 1.32 TeV and squark masses up to 840 GeV. Limits are also set on the parameters of a minimal universal extra dimension model, excluding a compactification radius of 1/R c = 950 GeV for a cut-off scale times radius (ΛR c) of approximately 30

Measurement of the top pair production cross section in 8 TeV proton-proton collisions using kinematic information in the lepton plus jets final state with ATLAS

A measurement is presented of the $t\bar{t}$ inclusive production cross-section in $pp$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV using data collected by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The measurement was performed in the lepton+jets final state using a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb$^{-1}$. The cross-section was obtained using a likelihood discriminant fit and $b$-jet identification was used to improve the signal-to-background ratio. The inclusive $t\bar{t}$ production cross-section was measured to be $260\pm 1{\textrm{(stat.)}} ^{+22}_{-23} {\textrm{(syst.)}}\pm 8{\textrm{(lumi.)}}\pm 4{\mathrm{(beam)}}$ pb assuming a top-quark mass of 172.5 GeV, in good agreement with the theoretical prediction of $253^{+13}_{-15}$ pb. The $t\bar{t}\to (e,\mu)+{\mathrm{jets}}$ production cross-section in the fiducial region determined by the detector acceptance is also reported.Comment: Published version, 19 pages plus author list (35 pages total), 3 figures, 2 tables, all figures including auxiliary figures are available at http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/TOPQ-2013-06

Evidence for the Higgs-boson Yukawa coupling to tau leptons with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for H → τ τ decays are presented, based on the full set of proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC during 2011 and 2012. The data correspond to integrated luminosities of 4.5 fb−1 and 20.3 fb−1 at centre-of-mass energies of √s = 7 TeV and √s = 8 TeV respectively. All combinations of leptonic (τ → `νν¯ with ` = e, µ) and hadronic (τ → hadrons ν) tau decays are considered. An excess of events over the expected background from other Standard Model processes is found with an observed (expected) significance of 4.5 (3.4) standard deviations. This excess provides evidence for the direct coupling of the recently discovered Higgs boson to fermions. The measured signal strength, normalised to the Standard Model expectation, of µ = 1.43 +0.43 −0.37 is consistent with the predicted Yukawa coupling strength in the Standard Model