Vulnerability analysis in complex networks under a flood risk reduction point of view

The measurement and mapping of transportation network vulnerability to natural hazards constitute subjects of global interest for a sustainable development agenda and as means of adaptation to climate change. During a flood, some elements of a transportation network can be affected, causing the loss of lives. Furthermore, impacts include damage to vehicles, streets/roads, and other logistics services - sometimes with severe economic consequences. The Network Science approach may offer a valuable perspective considering one type of vulnerability related to network-type critical infrastructures: the topological vulnerability. The topological vulnerability index associated with an element is defined as reducing the network’s average efficiency due to removing the set of edges related to that element. In this paper, we present the results of a systematic literature overview and a case study applying the topological vulnerability index for the highways in Santa Catarina (Brazil). We produce a map considering that index and areas susceptible to urban floods and landslides. Risk knowledge, combining hazard and vulnerability, is the first pillar of an Early Warning System and represents an important tool for stakeholders of the transportation sector in a disaster risk reduction agenda.Peer Reviewe

Correlation between the granulosa cell layer and active caspase-3 expression in ovarian follicles of Tropidurus hispidus and T. semitaeniatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae): immunohistochemical approach

The greatest threats to terrestrial reptiles are urban development and habitat modification. In this sense, a better understanding of folliculogenesis in these animals would be important to knowledge of reproductive biology. The aim of this study was to analyze the correlation between the thickness of the granulosa cell layer and the expression of the active caspase-3 protein in the previtellogenic and vitellogenic follicles of T. hispidus and T. semitaeniatus. Ovaries were used for histological (morphology and morphometry: thickness of granulosa layer) and immunohistochemical (active caspase-3 expression) analyses. The previtellogenic follicles of T. hispidus and T. semitaeniatus showed a thicker granulosa layer, with pyriform and small cells. The vitellogenic follicles had a monolayer of cuboid cells, and a thicker thecal layer. The thickness of the granulosa layer was significantly higher in the previtellogenic compared to the vitellogenic phase for both species. However, no differences were observed between the species. Active caspase-3 was observed in the pyriform and intermediate cells in previtellogenesis of T. hispidus and T. semitaeniatus. Nevertheless, no immunostaining was observed in the vitellogenic phase in both species. In conclusion, this study shows that the thickness of the granulosa cell layer is higher in the previtellogenic follicles compared to the vitellogenic follicles in the two Tropidurus species. Pyriform and intermediate cells from previtellogenic follicles show high expression of the protein, indicating that remodeling of the epithelium is associated with apoptosis. Finally, our results provide a scientific basis for assisted reproductive techniques and conservation actions to the reptiles in the future.Las mayores amenazas para los reptiles terrestres son el desarrollo urbano y la modificación del hábitat. En este sentido, una mejor comprensión de la foliculogénesis en estos animales sería importante para el conocimiento de la biología reproductiva. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la correlación entre el grosor de la capa de células de la granulosa y la expresión de la proteína caspase-3 activa en los folículos previtelogénicos y vitelogénicos de T. hispidus y T. semitaeniatus. Los ovarios se usaron para análisis histológicos (morfología y morfometría: grosor de la capa de la granulosa) e inmunohistoquímicos (expresión activa de caspase-3). Los folículos previtelogénicos de T. hispidus y T. semitaeniatus mostraron una capa de granulosa más gruesa, con células piriformes y pequeñas. Los folículos vitelogénicos tenían una monocapa de células cuboides y una capa tecal más gruesa. El grosor de la capa de granulosa fue significativamente mayor en la fase previtelogénica en comparación con la fase vitelogénica para ambas especies. Sin embargo, no se observaron diferencias entre las especies. Se observó caspase-3 activa en las células piriformes e intermedias en previtelogénesis de T. hispidus y T. semitaeniatus. Sin embargo, no se observó inmunotinción en la fase vitelogénica en ambas especies. En conclusión, este estudio muestra que el grosor de la capa de células de la granulosa es mayor en los folículos previtelogénicos en comparación con los folículos vitelogénicos en las dos especies de Tropidurus. Las células piriformes e intermedias de folículos previtelogénicos muestran una alta expresión de la proteína, lo que indica que la remodelación del epitelio está asociada con la apoptosis. Finalmente, nuestros resultados proporcionan una base científica para técnicas de reproducción asistida y acciones de conservación para los reptiles en el futuro.Asociación Herpetológica Argentin

Theory of Functional Connections and Nelder-Mead optimization methods applied in satellite characterization

The growing population of man-made objects with the build up of mega-constellations not only increases the potential danger to all space vehicles and in-space infrastructures (including space observatories), but above all poses a serious threat to astronomy and dark skies. Monitoring of this population requires precise satellite characterization, which is is a challenging task that involves analyzing observational data such as position, velocity, and light curves using optimization methods. In this study, we propose and analyze the application of two optimization procedures to determine the parameters associated with the dynamics of a satellite: one based on the Theory of Functional Connections (TFC) and another one based on the Nelder-Mead heuristic optimization algorithm. The TFC performs linear functional interpolation to embed the constraints of the problem into a functional. In this paper, we propose to use this functional to analytically embed the observational data of a satellite into its equations of dynamics. After that, any solution will always satisfy the observational data. The second procedure proposed in this research takes advantage of the Nealder-Mead algorithm, that does not require the gradient of the objective function, as alternative solution. The accuracy, efficiency, and dependency on the initial guess of each method is investigated, analyzed, and compared for several dynamical models. These methods can be used to obtain the physical parameters of a satellite from available observational data and for space debris characterization contributing to follow-up monitoring activities in space and astronomical observatories.Comment: Submitted to Acta Astronautic

Ionization and Fragmentation of a Global Warming Gas by EUV and X-Ray Photons

An experimental investigation of the processes leading tothe fragmentation of the singly ionized 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a, CH2FCF3) by EUV and soft X-rays is presented. HFC-134ais taken into consideration as the most convenient replacement for CFC-12 in refrigeration applications due to the fact that it has null ozone depletion factor. Dissociation of the singly ionized HFC-134amolecule was induced by valence, direct and indirect C 1s core photoionization or photoexcitation and the ionic fragments were detected in coincidence (PEPICO mode) with the ejected electrons without energy analysis. The singly ionized parent ion CF4CH2+can be detected even at photon energies above the C 1s threshold

Search for anomalous t t-bar production in the highly-boosted all-hadronic final state

A search is presented for a massive particle, generically referred to as a Z', decaying into a t t-bar pair. The search focuses on Z' resonances that are sufficiently massive to produce highly Lorentz-boosted top quarks, which yield collimated decay products that are partially or fully merged into single jets. The analysis uses new methods to analyze jet substructure, providing suppression of the non-top multijet backgrounds. The analysis is based on a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 inverse femtobarns. Upper limits in the range of 1 pb are set on the product of the production cross section and branching fraction for a topcolor Z' modeled for several widths, as well as for a Randall--Sundrum Kaluza--Klein gluon. In addition, the results constrain any enhancement in t t-bar production beyond expectations of the standard model for t t-bar invariant masses larger than 1 TeV.Comment: Submitted to the Journal of High Energy Physics; this version includes a minor typo correction that will be submitted as an erratu

Search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

A search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu decay channel, where l = e or mu, in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is presented. The data were collected at the LHC, with the CMS detector, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 inverse femtobarns. No significant excess is observed above the background expectation, and upper limits are set on the Higgs boson production cross section. The presence of the standard model Higgs boson with a mass in the 270-440 GeV range is excluded at 95% confidence level.Comment: Submitted to JHE

Combined search for the quarks of a sequential fourth generation

Results are presented from a search for a fourth generation of quarks produced singly or in pairs in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 inverse femtobarns recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2011. A novel strategy has been developed for a combined search for quarks of the up and down type in decay channels with at least one isolated muon or electron. Limits on the mass of the fourth-generation quarks and the relevant Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix elements are derived in the context of a simple extension of the standard model with a sequential fourth generation of fermions. The existence of mass-degenerate fourth-generation quarks with masses below 685 GeV is excluded at 95% confidence level for minimal off-diagonal mixing between the third- and the fourth-generation quarks. With a mass difference of 25 GeV between the quark masses, the obtained limit on the masses of the fourth-generation quarks shifts by about +/- 20 GeV. These results significantly reduce the allowed parameter space for a fourth generation of fermions.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Measurement of the t t-bar production cross section in the dilepton channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

The t t-bar production cross section (sigma[t t-bar]) is measured in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV in data collected by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 inverse femtobarns. The measurement is performed in events with two leptons (electrons or muons) in the final state, at least two jets identified as jets originating from b quarks, and the presence of an imbalance in transverse momentum. The measured value of sigma[t t-bar] for a top-quark mass of 172.5 GeV is 161.9 +/- 2.5 (stat.) +5.1/-5.0 (syst.) +/- 3.6(lumi.) pb, consistent with the prediction of the standard model.Comment: Replaced with published version. Included journal reference and DO

Measurement of the Z/gamma* + b-jet cross section in pp collisions at 7 TeV

The production of b jets in association with a Z/gamma* boson is studied using proton-proton collisions delivered by the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV and recorded by the CMS detector. The inclusive cross section for Z/gamma* + b-jet production is measured in a sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.2 inverse femtobarns. The Z/gamma* + b-jet cross section with Z/gamma* to ll (where ll = ee or mu mu) for events with the invariant mass 60 < M(ll) < 120 GeV, at least one b jet at the hadron level with pT > 25 GeV and abs(eta) < 2.1, and a separation between the leptons and the jets of Delta R > 0.5 is found to be 5.84 +/- 0.08 (stat.) +/- 0.72 (syst.) +(0.25)/-(0.55) (theory) pb. The kinematic properties of the events are also studied and found to be in agreement with the predictions made by the MadGraph event generator with the parton shower and the hadronisation performed by PYTHIA.Comment: Submitted to the Journal of High Energy Physic