Development of FTK architecture: a fast hardware track trigger for the ATLAS detector

The Fast Tracker (FTK) is a proposed upgrade to the ATLAS trigger system that will operate at full Level-1 output rates and provide high quality tracks reconstructed over the entire detector by the start of processing in Level-2. FTK solves the combinatorial challenge inherent to tracking by exploiting the massive parallelism of Associative Memories (AM) that can compare inner detector hits to millions of pre-calculated patterns simultaneously. The tracking problem within matched patterns is further simplified by using pre-computed linearized fitting constants and leveraging fast DSP's in modern commercial FPGA's. Overall, FTK is able to compute the helix parameters for all tracks in an event and apply quality cuts in approximately one millisecond. By employing a pipelined architecture, FTK is able to continuously operate at Level-1 rates without deadtime. The system design is defined and studied using ATLAS full simulation. Reconstruction quality is evaluated for single muon events with zero pileup, as well as WH events at the LHC design luminosity. FTK results are compared with the tracking capability of an offline algorithm.Comment: To be published in the proceedings of DPF-2009, Detroit, MI, July 2009, eConf C09072

The Evolution of FTK, a Real-Time Tracker for Hadron Collider Experiments

We describe the architecture evolution of the highly-parallel dedicated processor FTK, which is driven by the simulation of LHC events at high luminosity (1034 cm-2 s-1). FTK is able to provide precise on-line track reconstruction for future hadronic collider experiments. The processor, organized in a two-tiered pipelined architecture, execute very fast algorithms based on the use of a large bank of pre-stored patterns of trajectory points (first tier) in combination with full resolution track fitting to refine pattern recognition and to determine off-line quality track parameters. We describe here how the high luminosity simulation results have produced a new organization of the hardware inside the FTK processor core.Comment: 11th ICATPP conferenc

Development of New Placental and Fetal Expressed Sequence Tags (EST) for Gene Discovery in Pig Reproduction

One major problem that has high economic impact on pig reproduction is the unexplained loss of potential porcine conceptuses during the first month of gestation. To better understand when and how these losses occur, it is imperative to investigate the underlying genetic regulatory mechanisms. We have recently initiated a large-scale cDNA sequencing project to provide molecular information regarding the genes expressed in female reproductive tissues. cDNA libraries are planned for ovary, hypothalamus, pituitary, placenta, uterus, and several stages of embryonic development. Sequence information will also be highly useful in developing sequence-tagged sites for physical mapping and developing comparative links between the human, mouse, and pig genome maps. We have previously reported the creation of two cDNA libraries, porcine fetal (day 20), and conceptus (day 17). Sequencing of these libraries produced 220 Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs), with 180 sequences analyzed by clustering algorithms, and 139 clusters identified within these sequences. We now report the creation of two more libraries from porcine fetal (day 45) and placental tissues. The day 45 fetal library has 971,150 independent clones (average insert: 1.4 kb), whereas the placental library has 1,320,000 independent clones. Initial sequencing of the fetal library has produced 119 ESTs (81 clusters), whereas we have obtained 1411 ESTs (1056 clusters) from the placental library. After clustering all sequences thus far obtained, we have identified 1,233 unique clusters. Sequences obtained in this project will be deposited into Genbank dbEST, and all comparative homolog

Value-creating boards: diversity and evolved processes

This qualitative study is based on 47 interviews with board members of UK listed companies and reveals that value-creating boards have two main characteristics: a diversity of perspective and evolved board processes. The findings of the study show that the critical attributes of boardroom diversity are members’ culture/nationality, functional background, and gender diversity. Value-creating boards also have evolved processes, such as an objective nomination process, periodic evaluations of the board and its members, and their ability to work as a team. The paper contributes to the Strategic Leadership theory, and other role-effectiveness theories. It makes a significant contribution to existing literature on board diversity and value creation by suggesting that board diversity needs a broader definition – more than mere demographic attributes of directors, and board processes, – to improve boards’ ability to create value for organizations. The paper also contributes to praxis by presenting evidence of the impact of board diversity on value creations and suggesting the most critical aspects of value-creating boards. The findings may also guide the formulation of legislation for improving corporate governance by defining diversity more broadly

Gene expression in hypothalamus, liver, and adipose tissues and food intake response to melanocortin-4 receptor agonist in pigs expressing melanocortin-4 receptor mutations

Transcriptional profiling was used to identify genes and pathways that responded to intracerebroventricular injection of melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) agonist [Nle4, D-Phe7]-α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (NDP-MSH) in pigs homozygous for the missense mutation in the MC4R, D298 allele (n = 12), N298 allele (n = 12), or heterozygous (n = 12). Food intake (FI) was measured at 12 and 24 h after treatment. All pigs were killed at 24 h after treatment, and hypothalamus, liver, and back-fat tissue was collected. NDP-MSH suppressed (P \u3c 0.004) FI at 12 and 24 h in all animals after treatment. In response to NDP-MSH, 278 genes in hypothalamus (q ≤ 0.07, P ≤ 0.001), 249 genes in liver (q ≤ 0.07, P ≤ 0.001), and 5,066 genes in fat (q ≤ 0.07, P ≤ 0.015) were differentially expressed. Pathway analysis of NDP-MSH-induced differentially expressed genes indicated that genes involved in cell communication, nucleotide metabolism, and signal transduction were prominently downregulated in the hypothalamus. In both liver and adipose tissue, energy-intensive biosynthetic and catabolic processes were downregulated in response to NDP-MSH. This included genes encoding for biosynthetic pathways such as steroid and lipid biosynthesis, fatty acid synthesis, and amino acid synthesis. Genes involved in direct energy-generating processes, such as oxidative phosphorylation, electron transport, and ATP synthesis, were upregulated, whereas TCA-associated genes were prominently downregulated in NDP-MSH-treated pigs. Our data also indicate a metabolic switch toward energy conservation since genes involved in energy-intensive biosynthetic and catabolic processes were downregulated in NDP-MSH-treated pigs

Metformin Blunts Muscle Hypertrophy in Response to Progressive Resistance Exercise Training in Older Adults: A Randomized, Double‐Blind, Placebo‐Controlled, Multicenter Trial: The MASTERS Trial

Progressive resistance exercise training (PRT) is the most effective known intervention for combating aging skeletal muscle atrophy. However, the hypertrophic response to PRT is variable, and this may be due to muscle inflammation susceptibility. Metformin reduces inflammation, so we hypothesized that metformin would augment the muscle response to PRT in healthy women and men aged 65 and older. In a randomized, double-blind trial, participants received 1,700 mg/day metformin (N = 46) or placebo (N = 48) throughout the study, and all subjects performed 14 weeks of supervised PRT. Although responses to PRT varied, placebo gained more lean body mass (p = .003) and thigh muscle mass (p \u3c .001) than metformin. CT scan showed that increases in thigh muscle area (p = .005) and density (p = .020) were greater in placebo versus metformin. There was a trend for blunted strength gains in metformin that did not reach statistical significance. Analyses of vastus lateralis muscle biopsies showed that metformin did not affect fiber hypertrophy, or increases in satellite cell or macrophage abundance with PRT. However, placebo had decreased type I fiber percentage while metformin did not (p = .007). Metformin led to an increase in AMPK signaling, and a trend for blunted increases in mTORC1 signaling in response to PRT. These results underscore the benefits of PRT in older adults, but metformin negatively impacts the hypertrophic response to resistance training in healthy older individuals. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02308228

Evidence for the η_b(1S) Meson in Radiative Υ(2S) Decay

We have performed a search for the η_b(1S) meson in the radiative decay of the Υ(2S) resonance using a sample of 91.6 × 10^6 Υ(2S) events recorded with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II B factory at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. We observe a peak in the photon energy spectrum at E_γ = 609.3^(+4.6)_(-4.5)(stat)±1.9(syst) MeV, corresponding to an η_b(1S) mass of 9394.2^(+4.8)_(-4.9)(stat) ± 2.0(syst) MeV/c^2. The branching fraction for the decay Υ(2S) → γη_b(1S) is determined to be [3.9 ± 1.1(stat)^(+1.1)_(-0.9)(syst)] × 10^(-4). We find the ratio of branching fractions B[Υ(2S) → γη_b(1S)]/B[Υ(3S) → γη_b(1S)]= 0.82 ± 0.24(stat)^(+0.20)_(-0.19)(syst)

Single hadron response measurement and calorimeter jet energy scale uncertainty with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

The uncertainty on the calorimeter energy response to jets of particles is derived for the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). First, the calorimeter response to single isolated charged hadrons is measured and compared to the Monte Carlo simulation using proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of sqrt(s) = 900 GeV and 7 TeV collected during 2009 and 2010. Then, using the decay of K_s and Lambda particles, the calorimeter response to specific types of particles (positively and negatively charged pions, protons, and anti-protons) is measured and compared to the Monte Carlo predictions. Finally, the jet energy scale uncertainty is determined by propagating the response uncertainty for single charged and neutral particles to jets. The response uncertainty is 2-5% for central isolated hadrons and 1-3% for the final calorimeter jet energy scale.Comment: 24 pages plus author list (36 pages total), 23 figures, 1 table, submitted to European Physical Journal

Standalone vertex finding in the ATLAS muon spectrometer

A dedicated reconstruction algorithm to find decay vertices in the ATLAS muon spectrometer is presented. The algorithm searches the region just upstream of or inside the muon spectrometer volume for multi-particle vertices that originate from the decay of particles with long decay paths. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated using both a sample of simulated Higgs boson events, in which the Higgs boson decays to long-lived neutral particles that in turn decay to bbar b final states, and pp collision data at √s = 7 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC during 2011