Study of Z boson production in pPb collisions at √sNN=5.02 TeV

The production of Z bosons in pPb collisions at root S-NN = 5.02 TeV is studied by the CMS experiment via the electron and muon decay channels. The inclusive cross section is compared to pp collision predictions, and found to scale with the number of elementary nucleon-nucleon collisions. The differential cross sections as a function of the Z boson rapidity and transverse momentum are measured. Though they are found to be consistent within uncertainty with theoretical predictions both with and without nuclear effects, the forward-backward asymmetry suggests the presence of nuclear effects at large rapidities. These results provide new data for constraining nuclear parton distribution functions

Excellent adherence and no contamination by physiotherapists involved in a randomized controlled trial on reactivation of COPD patients: a qualitative process evaluation study

Contains fulltext : 107813.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)OBJECTIVE: To assess the adherence of physiotherapists to the study protocol and the occurrence of contamination bias during the course of a randomized controlled trial with a recruitment period of 2 years and a 1-year follow-up (COPE-II study). STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: In the COPE-II study, intervention patients received a standardized physiotherapeutic reactivation intervention (COPE-active) and control patients received usual care. The latter could include regular physiotherapy treatment. Information about the adherence of physiotherapists with the study protocol was collected by performing a single interview with both intervention and control patients. Patients were only interviewed when they were currently receiving physiotherapy. Interviews were performed during two separate time periods, 10 months apart. Nine characteristics of the COPE-active intervention were scored. Scores were converted into percentages (0%, no aspects of COPE-active; 100%, full implementation of COPE-active). RESULTS: Fifty-one patients were interviewed (first period: intervention n = 14 and control n = 10; second period: intervention n = 18 and control n = 9). Adherence with the COPE-active protocol was high (median scores: period 1, 96.8%; period 2, 92.1%), and large contrasts in scores between the intervention and control group were found (period 1: 96.8% versus 22.7%; period 2: 92.1% versus 25.0%). The scores of patients treated by seven physiotherapists who trained patients of both study groups were similar to the scores of patients treated by physiotherapists who only trained patients of one study group. CONCLUSION: The adherence of physiotherapists with the COPE-active protocol was high, remained unchanged over time, and no obvious contamination bias occurred

Responses of vulnerable fishes to environmental stressors in the Canadian Great Lakes basin

Quantifying the responses of rare vulnerable species to environmental stressors poses special challenges. This study aimed to understand the responses of vulnerable fishes listed under the Species at Risk Act to environmental stressors in lakes, streams, and wetlands of the Canadian Great Lakes basin. We used a joint species distribution model (JSDM) to improve the estimates of responses of vulnerable species to environmental stressors, and the effects of functional traits on those responses, by ‟borrowing information” from abundant species having higher information content. We measured abundance, functional traits, and taxonomic relationships for 115 freshwater fish species, including 12 vulnerable species, and environmental features, at 1972 sites. The JSDM yielded more precise estimates of responses than single-species models fitted to each vulnerable species. Habitat associations inferred from the JSDM showed substantial overlap with those provided in COSEWIC status reports. Model-derived responses to environmental stressors can provide a management-friendly basis for species classification in terms of species’ tolerances to various forms of environmental change, and supplement the qualitative criteria for habitat requirements currently used in assessments of species vulnerability.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

The riverscape meets the soundscape: Acoustic cues and habitat use by brook trout in a small stream

Hydromorphological descriptors such as substrate type, water depth, and velocity are commonly used to describe fish habitat, but few studies have focused on how underwater sounds affect habitat use by freshwater fish. We evaluated the influence of the underwater soundscape and other habitat descriptors on the spatial distribution of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) in a small stream in eastern Canada. Habitat measurements were made at high spatial resolution (2.5 m intervals). High acoustical heterogeneity of stream habitats (40–150 dB re 1 μPa) was related to differences in water velocity and depth as expected from theory. Brook trout densities were positively related to broadband sound pressure levels (SPL), irrespective of water velocity and depth, but in interaction with habitat type. The positive relationship between brook trout densities and SPL could be related to the high auditory threshold of salmonid fishes. Alternatively, brook trout may use the underwater soundscape to select favourable feeding habitats. Underwater sounds integrate the many environmental dimensions of a stream and may be used by fish as cues for habitat selection.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Measurement of dielectron production in central Pb-Pb collisions at root S-NN=2.76 TeV

The first measurement of dielectron (e+e-) production in central (0-10%) Pb-Pb collisions at sNN=2.76TeV at the LHC is presented. The dielectron invariant-mass spectrum is compared to the expected contributions from hadron decays in the invariant-mass range 0<3.5GeV/c2. The ratio of data and the cocktail of hadronic contributions without vacuum ρ0 is measured in the invariant-mass range 0.15<0.7GeV/c2, where an excess of dielectrons is observed in other experiments, and its value is 1.40±0.28(stat.)±0.08(syst.)±0.27(cocktail). The dielectron spectrum measured in the invariant mass range 0<1GeV/c2 is consistent with the predictions from two theoretical model calculations that include thermal dielectron production from both partonic and hadronic phases with in-medium broadened ρ0 meson. The fraction of direct virtual photons over inclusive virtual photons is extracted for dielectron pairs with invariant mass 0.1<0.3GeV/c2 and in the transverse-momentum intervals 1<2GeV/c and 2<4GeV/c. The measured fraction of virtual direct photons is consistent with the measurement of real direct photons by ALICE and with the expectations from previous dielectron measurements at RHIC within the experimental uncertainties

Dielectron and heavy-quark production in inelastic and high-multiplicity proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

The measurement of dielectron production is presented as a function of invariant mass and transverse momentum (p T ) at midrapidity (|y e |<0.8) in proton–proton (pp) collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s=13 TeV. The contributions from light-hadron decays are calculated from their measured cross sections in pp collisions at s=7 TeV or 13 TeV. The remaining continuum stems from correlated semileptonic decays of heavy-flavour hadrons. Fitting the data with templates from two different MC event generators, PYTHIA and POWHEG, the charm and beauty cross sections at midrapidity are extracted for the first time at this collision energy: dσ cc¯ /dy| y=0 =974±138(stat.)±140(syst.)±214(BR)μb and dσ bb¯ /dy| y=0 =79±14(stat.)±11(syst.)±5(BR)μb using PYTHIA simulations and dσ cc¯ /dy| y=0 =1417±184(stat.)±204(syst.)±312(BR)μb and dσ bb¯ /dy| y=0 =48±14(stat.)±7(syst.)±3(BR)μb for POWHEG. These values, whose uncertainties are fully correlated between the two generators, are consistent with extrapolations from lower energies. The different results obtained with POWHEG and PYTHIA imply different kinematic correlations of the heavy-quark pairs in these two generators. Furthermore, comparisons of dielectron spectra in inelastic events and in events collected with a trigger on high charged-particle multiplicities are presented in various p T intervals. The differences are consistent with the already measured scaling of light-hadron and open-charm production at high charged-particle multiplicity as a function of p T . Upper limits for the contribution of virtual direct photons are extracted at 90% confidence level and found to be in agreement with pQCD calculations

Dielectron and heavy-quark production in inelastic and high-multiplicity proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

The measurement of dielectron production is presented as a function of invariant mass and transverse momentum (pT) at midrapidity (|ye|<0.8) in proton\u2013proton (pp) collisions at a centre-of-mass energy 1as = 13 TeV. The contributions from light-hadron decays are calculated from their measured cross sections in pp collisions at 1as = 7 TeV or 13 TeV. The remaining continuum stems from correlated semileptonic decays of heavy-flavour hadrons. Fitting the data with templates from two different MC event generators, PYTHIA and POWHEG, the charm and beauty cross sections at midrapidity are extracted for the first time at this collision energy: d\u3c3cc \u304/dy|y=0 = 974 \ub1 138(stat.) \ub1 140(syst.) \ub1 214(BR) \u3bcb and d\u3c3bb \u304/dy|y=0 =79\ub114(stat.)\ub111(syst.)\ub15(BR) \u3bcb using PYTHIA simulations and d\u3c3cc \u304/dy|y=0 = 1417 \ub1 184(stat.) \ub1 204(syst.) \ub1 312(BR) \u3bcb and d\u3c3bb \u304/dy|y=0 = 48 \ub1 14(stat.) \ub1 7(syst.) \ub1 3(BR) \u3bcb for POWHEG. These values, whose uncertainties are fully correlated between the two generators, are consistent with extrapolations from lower energies. The different results obtained with POWHEG and PYTHIA imply different kinematic correlations of the heavy-quark pairs in these two generators. Furthermore, comparisons of dielectron spectra in inelastic events and in events collected with a trigger on high charged-particle multiplicities are presented in various pT intervals. The differences are consistent with the already measured scaling of light-hadron and open-charm production at high charged-particle multiplicity as a function of pT. Upper limits for the contribution of virtual direct photons are extracted at 90% confidence level and found to be in agreement with pQCD calculations

Measurement of dielectron production in central Pb-Pb collisions at root S-NN=2.76 TeV

The first measurement of dielectron (e+e 12) production in central (0\u201310%) Pb\u2013Pb collisions at 1asNN = 2.76TeV at the LHC is presented. The dielectron invariant-mass spectrum is compared to the expected contributions from hadron decays in the invariant-mass range 0 < mee < 3.5 GeV/c2. The ratio of data and the cocktail of hadronic contributions without vacuum \u3c10 is measured in the invariant-mass range 0.15 < mee < 0.7 GeV/c2, where an excess of dielectrons is observed in other experiments, and its value is 1.40 \ub1 0.28 (stat.) \ub1 0.08 (syst.) \ub1 0.27 (cocktail). The dielectron spectrum measured in the invariant mass range 0 < mee < 1 GeV/c2 is consistent with the predictions from two theoretical model calculations that include thermal dielectron production from both partonic and hadronic phases with in-medium broadened \u3c10 meson. The fraction of direct virtual photons over inclusive virtual photons is extracted for dielectron pairs with invariant mass 0.1 < mee < 0.3 GeV/c2 and in the transverse-momentum intervals 1 < pT,ee < 2 GeV/c and 2 < pT,ee < 4 GeV/c. The measured fraction of virtual direct photons is consistent with the measurement of real direct photons by ALICE and with the expectations from previous dielectron measurements at RHIC within the experimental uncertainties