RISK OF PREDATION AND FORAGING ACTIVITY IN SHREWS

The responses of foraging common shrews Sorex araneus to the presence of a potential predator, the weasel Mustela nivalis, was studied on an experimental arena. The weasel was allowed to visit an enclosed part of the arena at will. A significant short-term (5 to 15 min) decrease of activity was observed after a visit by the weasel during both low and high level weasel activity. Individual variation in the shrews' responses was great. Some individuals decreased their foraging activity to a very low level following the weasel's visits while others did not show any change in activity at all. The magnitude of the shrew's response was positively correlated with its weight at the beginning of the experiment. The results demonstrate that, under risk of predation, large individuals could afford to decrease their foraging activity at the cost of weight loss but smaller individuals, with smaller body energy reserves, apparently could not do so.Peer reviewe

FORAGING BEHAVIOR OF SHREWS

Peer reviewe

Knowledge creation and management in the five LHC experiments at CERN: implications for technology innovation and transfer

The present study analyses knowledge creation, acquisition and transfer in the five LHC physics experiments at CERN: ALICE, ATLAS, CMS, LHCb, and TOTEM. A questionnaire was provided during collaboration meetings and a total of 291 replies were obtained and analysed. The results of this research study provide evidence that the social process of participation in meetings, acquisition of skills in different areas, and the development of interests by interaction with colleagues are key elements of the learning process. Furthermore, the results indicate that knowledge acquisition in a multicultural environment plays a mediating role in the interaction between social capital constructs (social interaction, relationship quality, and network ties) and competitive advantage outcomes (invention development and technological distinctiveness). Social interaction, relationship quality, and network ties are connected to greater knowledge acquisition, and also contribute to innovation and transfer of the knowledge to industry. The fertile environment of the five LHC experiments building and managing multiple processes, involves a dynamic, interactive,and simultaneous exchange of knowledge both inside and outside their organization

Evidence for non-exponential elastic proton proton differential cross-section at low vertical bar t vertical bar and √ s = 8 TeV by TOTEM

The TOTEM experiment has made a precise measurement of the elastic proton proton differential cross-section at the centre-of-mass energy root s = 8 TeV based on a high-statistics data sample obtained with the beta* = 90 m optics. Both the statistical and systematic uncertainties remain below 1%, except for the t-independent contribution from the overall normalisation. This unprecedented precision allows to exclude a purely exponential differential cross-section in the range of four-momentum transfer squared 0.027 <vertical bar t vertical bar <0.2 GeV2 with a significance greater than 7 sigma. Two extended parametrisations, with quadratic and cubic polynomials in the exponent, are shown to be well compatible with the data. Using them for the differential cross-section extrapolation to t = 0, and further applying the optical theorem, yields total cross-section estimates of (101.5 +/- 2.1) mb and (101.9 +/- 2.1) mb, respectively, in agreement with previous TOTEM measurements. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.Peer reviewe

Assessing the risks and uncertainties of regional crop potential under a changing climate in Finland

Results are presented of a modelling study to estimate the regional suitability and potential productivity of selected crops in Finland under a changing climate. Model simulations were conducted across a regular 10 km grid over Finland for various cultivars of the following crops: spring wheat, barley, oats, potato and maize, and for two nematode pests and a fungal disease of potato. Models were run for both the present-day (1961-1990) climate and scenarios of future climate. Results are presented as maps. The main findings of the study are: (1) A warming of the climate induces shifts in the northern limit of cereal suitability of some 100-150 km per °C. (2) Changes in climate and carbon dioxide concentration by 2050 are estimated to enhance average grain yields of present-day barley cultivars in all regions. (3) Under projected warming, the potential distribution of nematode species expands northwards and additional generations of some species are likely. The risk of late blight occurrence increases in all regions. (4) By 2050 grain maize could be cultivated reliably in favourable regions of southern Finland, and satisfactory yields obtained. (5) Uncertainties surround all estimates, including uncertainties in projections of future climate, model errors and assumptions and observational errors

Assessing the risks and uncertainties of regional crop potential under a changing climate in Finland

Results are presented of a modelling study to estimate the regional suitability and potential productivity of selected crops in Finland under a changing climate. Model simulations were conducted across a regular 10 km grid over Finland for various cultivars of the following crops: spring wheat, barley, oats, potato and maize, and for two nematode pests and a fungal disease of potato. Models were run for both the present-day (1961-1990) climate and scenarios of future climate. Results are presented as maps. The main findings of the study are: (1) A warming of the climate induces shifts in the northern limit of cereal suitability of some 100-150 km per °C. (2) Changes in climate and carbon dioxide concentration by 2050 are estimated to enhance average grain yields of present-day barley cultivars in all regions. (3) Under projected warming, the potential distribution of nematode species expands northwards and additional generations of some species are likely. The risk of late blight occurrence increases in all regions. (4) By 2050 grain maize could be cultivated reliably in favourable regions of southern Finland, and satisfactory yields obtained. (5) Uncertainties surround all estimates, including uncertainties in projections of future climate, model errors and assumptions and observational errors

Diffraction and Total Cross-Section at the Tevatron and the LHC

At the Tevatron, the total p_bar-p cross-section has been measured by CDF at 546 GeV and 1.8 TeV, and by E710/E811 at 1.8 TeV. The two results at 1.8 TeV disagree by 2.6 standard deviations, introducing big uncertainties into extrapolations to higher energies. At the LHC, the TOTEM collaboration is preparing to resolve the ambiguity by measuring the total p-p cross-section with a precision of about 1 %. Like at the Tevatron experiments, the luminosity-independent method based on the Optical Theorem will be used. The Tevatron experiments have also performed a vast range of studies about soft and hard diffractive events, partly with antiproton tagging by Roman Pots, partly with rapidity gap tagging. At the LHC, the combined CMS/TOTEM experiments will carry out their diffractive programme with an unprecedented rapidity coverage and Roman Pot spectrometers on both sides of the interaction point. The physics menu comprises detailed studies of soft diffractive differential cross-sections, diffractive structure functions, rapidity gap survival and exclusive central production by Double Pomeron Exchange.Peer reviewe

First measurement of elastic, inelastic and total cross-section at √s = 13TeV by TOTEM and overview of cross-section data at LHC energies : TOTEM Collaboration

The TOTEM collaboration has measured the proton- proton total cross section at v s = 13 TeV with a luminosity- independent method. Using dedicated ss * = 90m beam optics, the Roman Pots were inserted very close to the beam. The inelastic scattering rate has been measured by the T1 and T2 telescopes during the same LHC fill. After applying the optical theorem the total proton- proton cross section is stot = (110.6 +/- 3.4) mb, well in agreement with the extrapolation from lower energies. This method also allows one to derive the luminosity- independent elastic and inelastic cross sections: sel = (31.0 +/- 1.7) mband sinel = (79.5 +/- 1.8) mb.Peer reviewe

LHC Optics Measurement with Proton Tracks Detected by the Roman Pots of the TOTEM Experiment

Precise knowledge of the beam optics at the LHC is crucial to fulfil the physics goals of the TOTEM experiment, where the kinematics of the scattered protons is reconstructed with the near-beam telescopes -- so-called Roman Pots (RP). Before being detected, the protons' trajectories are influenced by the magnetic fields of the accelerator lattice. Thus precise understanding of the proton transport is of key importance for the experiment. A novel method of optics evaluation is proposed which exploits kinematical distributions of elastically scattered protons observed in the RPs. Theoretical predictions, as well as Monte Carlo studies, show that the residual uncertainty of this optics estimation method is smaller than 0.25 percent.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures, 5 figures, to be submitted to New J. Phy

Double diffractive cross-section measurement in the forward region at LHC

The first double diffractive cross-section measurement in the very forward region has been carried out by the TOTEM experiment at the LHC with center-of-mass energy of sqrt(s)=7 TeV. By utilizing the very forward TOTEM tracking detectors T1 and T2, which extend up to |eta|=6.5, a clean sample of double diffractive pp events was extracted. From these events, we measured the cross-section sigma_DD =(116 +- 25) mub for events where both diffractive systems have 4.7 <|eta|_min < 6.5 .Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, submitted for publicatio