Operational Experience of the ATLAS High Level Trigger with Single-Beam and Cosmic Rays

ATLAS is one of two general-purpose detectors at the LHC. Using fast reconstruction algorithms, the trigger system needs to efficiently reject a large rate of background events while keeping potentially interesting ones with high efficiency. After a first level trigger implemented in custom electronics, the trigger selection is made by software running on two processor farms (the High Level Trigger system), containing a total of around two thousand multi-core machines. To reduce the network data traffic and the processing time to manageable levels, the HLT uses seeded, step-wise event reconstruction, aiming at the earliest possible rejection of background events. The LHC start up and single-beam run periods in 2008 provided a "stress test" of the trigger system. Following this period, ATLAS continued to collect cosmic-ray events for detector alignment and calibration as well as for commissioning the trigger. These running periods allowed us to exercise the trigger system online, including its configuration and monitoring infrastructure, as well as reconstruction and selection algorithms. Several tracking, muon-finding, and calorimetry algorithms were commissioned under different running conditions. Frequent changes of the trigger configuration were required to cope with the parallel commissioning of the ATLAS sub-detectors. The experience gained while running the trigger system online was very valuable to design and implement a n optimal strategy for the collision data taking period of 2009. This paper focuses on the operational experience gained in running the trigger in the fast-changing environment of the detector commissioning with cosmic rays and single beam runs

Cost of AIDS care in Mexico: what are its main individual predictors?

BACKGROUND: The Mexican government is offering universal access to antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. The cost of doing so, despite aggressive price negotiation with the pharmaceutical industry, remains high. Even with a low prevalence, about 150,000 Mexicans are estimated to be living with HIV and will require ARV treatment. Estimating the resources needed to fund this gap should consider how patient and provider characteristics affect health care costs. METHODS: Using a sample of patients from 11 facilities in three Mexican cities representing a large proportion of AIDS patients in the country, we developed a fixed-effect model, which by controlling the facilities and individual heterogeneity estimates predicted costs using patient demographic and socioeconomic characteristics as well as physician training. RESULTS: The estimated model explains about 45% of the variation in costs. Additional education is significantly and positively associated with cost. Increasing age is also associated with higher costs. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic status and demographic characteristics explain an important proportion of variation in care costs for AIDS, despite AIDS being such a heterogeneous disease. Such characteristics will need to be taken into account when resource needs are estimated. A priority-setting process considering the principles of equity in the fair distribution of resources is needed to help reduce the social burden of HIV/AIDS in Mexico

Wear of the Primary WaveOne single file when shaping vestibular root canals of first maxillary molar

It is very important for a clinician to know the increased wear of mechanized files when establishing endodontic therapy. The aim of this study was to check the wear of the Primary WaveOne file upon shaping two, four and six maxillary molar vestibular canals. The deterioration of 40 files, divided into four groups, was evaluated microscopically: group 1, control (unused); group 2, two canals; group 3, four canals; and group 4, six canals. After instrumentation, the files were embedded in resin and sectioned at their apical third into three equal parts. To analyze the wear of edges in the different sections, AutoCAD software was used and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was then performed to compare the mean rake angles. The files with two and four uses showed slight wear, whereas those with six applications showed significant wear (p<0.05). Primary WaveOne files can be used in up to four root canals without their edges losing effectiveness

A spatially-explicit decision support system for invasive weed species management

Invasive weed species are a recognized problem worldwide causing economic and environmental problems. Management of weeds is complex and challenging because of multiple decisions that need to be made when allocating limited resources to control current infestation areas including which weeds to treat, where to treat, how to treat, and when to treat. Models have been developed to simulate weed spread, however they lack the ability to simulate the short term effects of weed treatments and analyze trade-offs among control allocation options. This trade-off analysis is critical in developing cost-efficient treatment decisions especially when available budget for treatments is limited. To address the limitations of traditional weed treatment planning and provide weed mangers with a decision support tool that can enhance their decision-making process, a spatially-explicit decision support system was developed. Based on current infestation areas, treatment effects estimation, and vegetation susceptibility, the system simulates weed spread across the landscape, and develops a five-year treatment plan that minimizes total infestation area over time

Boolean networks synchronism sensitivity and XOR circulant networks convergence time

In this paper are presented first results of a theoretical study on the role of non-monotone interactions in Boolean automata networks. We propose to analyse the contribution of non-monotony to the diversity and complexity in their dynamical behaviours according to two axes. The first one consists in supporting the idea that non-monotony has a peculiar influence on the sensitivity to synchronism of such networks. It leads us to the second axis that presents preliminary results and builds an understanding of the dynamical behaviours, in particular concerning convergence times, of specific non-monotone Boolean automata networks called XOR circulant networks.Comment: In Proceedings AUTOMATA&JAC 2012, arXiv:1208.249

Una interpretación alternativa a la justificación de garantías penales en el derecho administrativo sancionador para Chile

This paper provides a brief description of the state of affairs on the issue of implementation of fundamental rights of the citizens in administrative penalty procedures, based on some statements of the Chilean courts of justice. Here it is propose uprightly to abandon the search for a «supposed natural or ontological identity» between administrative offense and criminal offense. Under these assumptions, we conclude that a rational understanding of the tools that the administration has, to determine their duties, can finally help as a clarification of the historical relationship between administrative penalty and punishment.Este artículo ofrece una breve descripción sobre la aplicación de garantías fundamentales (penales) a los ciudadanos en los procedimientos administrativos de sanción, con apoyo de algunos pronunciamientos de los tribunales chilenos de justicia. A continuación se propone abandonar derechamente la búsqueda de una (supuesta) «identidad natural u ontológica» entre la infracción administrativa y el delito penal. Bajo esas premisas se concluye que una comprensión racional de las herramientas que posee la Administración, para determinar a bien su cometido, puede ayudar —por fin— en una clarificación de la histórica relación entre sanción administrativa y pena

Blasian and Proud: Examining Racialized Experiences Amongst Half Black and Half Japanese Youth in Japan

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College