Search for heavy resonances decaying to two Higgs bosons in final states containing four b quarks

A search is presented for narrow heavy resonances X decaying into pairs of Higgs bosons (H) in proton-proton collisions collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC at root s = 8 TeV. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 19.7 fb(-1). The search considers HH resonances with masses between 1 and 3 TeV, having final states of two b quark pairs. Each Higgs boson is produced with large momentum, and the hadronization products of the pair of b quarks can usually be reconstructed as single large jets. The background from multijet and t (t) over bar events is significantly reduced by applying requirements related to the flavor of the jet, its mass, and its substructure. The signal would be identified as a peak on top of the dijet invariant mass spectrum of the remaining background events. No evidence is observed for such a signal. Upper limits obtained at 95 confidence level for the product of the production cross section and branching fraction sigma(gg -> X) B(X -> HH -> b (b) over barb (b) over bar) range from 10 to 1.5 fb for the mass of X from 1.15 to 2.0 TeV, significantly extending previous searches. For a warped extra dimension theory with amass scale Lambda(R) = 1 TeV, the data exclude radion scalar masses between 1.15 and 1.55 TeV

Measurement of the top quark mass using charged particles in pp collisions at root s=8 TeV

Peer reviewe

Search for supersymmetry in events with one lepton and multiple jets in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

Peer reviewe

Differential host utilisation by different life history stages of the fish ectoparasite Argulus foliaceus (Crustacea: Branchiura)

Contains fulltext : 72168.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Cognitive and radiological effects of radiotherapy in patients with low-grade glioma: long-term follow-up

Background Our previous study on cognitive functioning among 195 patients with low-grade glioma (LGG) a mean of 6 years after diagnosis suggested that the tumour itself, rather than the radiotherapy used to treat it, has the most deleterious effect on cognitive functioning; only high fraction dose radiotherapy (>2 Gy) resulted in significant added cognitive deterioration. The present study assesses the radiological and cognitive abnormalities in survivors of LGG at a mean of 12 years after first diagnosis. Methods Patients who have had stable disease since the first assessment were invited for follow-up cognitive assessment (letter-Aigit substitution test, concept shifting test, Stroop colour-word test, visual verbal learning test, memory comparison test, and categoric word fluency). Compound scores in six cognitive domains (attention, executive functioning, verbal memory, working memory, psychomotor functioning, and information processing speed) were calculated to detect differences between patients who had radiotherapy and patients who did not have radiotherapy. White-matter hyperintensities and global cortical atrophy were rated on MRI scans. Findings 65 patients completed neuropsychological follow-up at a mean of 12 years (range 6-28 years). 32 (49%) patients had received radiotherapy (three had fraction doses >2 Gy). The patients who had radiotherapy had more deficits that affected attentional functioning at the second follow-up, regardless of fraction dose, than those who did not have radiotherapy (-1.6 [SD 2.41 vs -0.1 [1.3], p=0.003; mean difference 1.4, 95% CI 0.5-2-4). The patients who had radiotherapy also did worse in measures of executive fucntioning (-2.0 [3.7] vs -0.5 [1.2], p=0.03; mean difference 1.5, 0.2-2.9) and information processing speed (-2.0 [3.7] vs -0.6 [1.5], p=0.05; mean difference 0.8, 0.009-1.6]) between the two assessments. Furthermore, attentional. functioning deteriorated significantly between the first and second assessments in patients who had radiotherapy (p=0.25). In total, 17 (53%) patients who had radiotherapy developed cognitive disabilities deficits in at least five of 18 neuropsychological test parameters compared with four (27%) patients who were radiotherapy naive. White-matter hyperintensities and global cortical atrophy were associated with worse cognitive functioning in several domains. Interpretation Long-term survivors of LGG who did not have radiotherapy had stable radiological and cognitive status. By contrast, patients with low-grade glioma who received radiotherapy showed a progressive decline in attentional functioning, even those who received fraction doses that are regarded as safe ( <= 2 Gy). These cognitive deficits are associated with radiological abnormalities. Our results suggest that the risk of long-term cognitive and radiological compromise that is associated with radiotherapy should be considered when treatment is planned. Funding Kaptein Fonds; Schering Ploug

The future of religious education in Europe

This E-book is the result of a workshop on “The future of religious education in Europe”, hosted by the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute in Florence on 28 October 2014.This small volume covers the entire conceptual range of approaches to religious education in public schools. The papers gathered in this publication cover the conceptual debate on the subject, ranging from a confessional approach to a sociological approach with an inclusive model as the middle-position. The different models diverge on how they define, in the context of public schooling for children aged 6 to 14 years, what religious education is aimed at: is that what should be conveyed knowledge about religion or instead religious knowledge? Should pupils become cognitively equipped to recognize and discuss religious diversity, or should they first become literate in one, presumably “their own” religious tradition?-- I Kristina Stoeckl – Knowledge about religion and religious knowledge in secular societies: introductory remarks to The future of religious education in Europe -- II Robert Jackson – Inclusive Study of Religions and other Worldviews in Publicly-funded Schools in Democratic Societies -- III Valeria Fabretti – Rethinking Religious Education sociologically: A contribution to the European debate and comparison -- IV Joachim Willems – Religious Education and the Student’s Fundamental Right to Freedom of Religion – Some Lessons and Questions from Germany -- V Matthias Scharer, Innsbruck – “Learning Religion” in the Presence of the Other: Provocation and Gift in Public Educatio