Retrieval of soil moisture and vegetation water content using SSM/I data over a corn and soybean region

The potential for soil moisture and vegetation water content retrieval using Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) brightness temperature over a corn and soybean field region was analyzed and assessed using datasets from the Soil Moisture Experiment 2002 (SMEX02). Soil moisture retrieval was performed using a dual-polarization 19.4-GHz data algorithm that requires the specification of two vegetation parameters¿single scattering albedo and vegetation water content. Single scattering albedo was estimated using published values. A method for estimating the vegetation water content from the microwave polarization index using SSM/I 37.0-GHz data was developed for the region using extensive datasets developed as part of SMEX02. Analyses indicated that the sensitivity of the brightness temperature to soil moisture decreased as vegetation water content increased. However, there was evidence that SSM/I brightness temperatures changed in response to soil moisture increases resulting from rainfall during the later stages of crop growth. This was partly attributed to the lower soil and vegetation thermal temperatures that typically followed a rainfall. Comparisons between experimentally measured volumetric soil moisture and SSM/I-retrieved soil moisture indicated that soil moisture retrieval was feasible using SSM/I data, but the accuracy highly depended upon the levels of vegetation and atmospheric precipitable water; the standard error of estimate over the 3-week study period was 5.49%. The potential for using this approach on a larger scale was demonstrated by mapping the state of Iowa. Results of this investigation provide new insights on how one might operationally correct for vegetation effects using high-frequency microwave observation

Correlated responses on growth traits after two-stage selection for ovulation rate and litter size in rabbits

[EN] Rabbit commercial maternal lines are usually selected for litter size (LS) and paternal lines for growth rate (GR). Line OR_LS was selected by ovulation rate (OR) and LS to improve LS more efficiently. In this study, growth traits of line OR_LS were evaluated by estimating the correlated response on weaning weight (WW), slaughter weight (SW) and GR during fattening period as well as their variability (DWW, DSW and DGR, respectively). Data were analyzed using Bayesian inference methods. Heritability estimates were low for growth traits (0.09, 0.13 and 0.14 for WW, SW and GR, respectively) and negligible for growth traits variability (0.01, 0.004 and 0.01 for DWW, DSW and DGR, respectively). Moderate common litter effect ratio (c(2); 0.35, 0.28 and 0.27) and low maternal effect ratio (m(2); 0.11, 0.05 and 0.01) were obtained for WW, SW and GR, respectively. Both c(2) and m(2) were lower at slaughter than at weaning. In addition, low common litter effect and negligible maternal effect were observed for growth traits variability. Genetic correlations between LS and both growth traits and their variability were close to zero. Positive genetic correlations were observed between OR and growth traits (0.19, 0.38 and 0.36 for WW, SW and GR, respectively) as well as between OR and growth traits variability (0.35, 0.62 and 0.20 for DWW, DSW and DGR, respectively). Positive correlated responses in both periods were obtained for growth traits, WW, SW and GR (0.037, 0.156 and 0.110 kg, respectively). The correlated response found in growth traits might be due to the positive genetic correlations between OR and these traits. However, selection for OR and LS using independent culling levels did not modify the growth traits variability. Therefore, no negative consequences on growth traits can be expected in current commercial maternal lines.This study was supported by the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (AGL2014-55921-C2-1-P) and by funds from Generalitat Valenciana research programme (Prometeo 2009/125).Peiró Barber, RM.; Yehia-Badawy Elmoghazy, A.; Blasco Mateu, A.; Santacreu Jerez, MA. (2019). Correlated responses on growth traits after two-stage selection for ovulation rate and litter size in rabbits. Animal. 13(11):2457-2462. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731119001423S245724621311ZHANG, T., WANG, L., SHI, H., YAN, H., ZHANG, L., LIU, X., … WANG, L. (2016). Hritabilities and genetic and phenotypic correlations of litter uniformity and litter size in Large White sows. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 15(4), 848-854. doi:10.1016/s2095-3119(15)61155-8Wolf, J., Žáková, E., & Groeneveld, E. (2008). Within-litter variation of birth weight in hyperprolific Czech Large White sows and its relation to litter size traits, stillborn piglets and losses until weaning. Livestock Science, 115(2-3), 195-205. doi:10.1016/j.livsci.2007.07.009Ruíz-Flores, A., & Johnson, R. K. (2001). Direct and correlated responses to two-stage selection for ovulation rate and number of fully formed pigs at birth in swine. Journal of Animal Science, 79(9), 2286. doi:10.2527/2001.7992286xRosendo, A., Canario, L., Druet, T., Gogué, J., & Bidanel, J. P. (2007). Correlated responses of pre- and postweaning growth and backfat thickness to six generations of selection for ovulation rate or prenatal survival in French Large White pigs. Journal of Animal Science, 85(12), 3209-3217. doi:10.2527/jas.2007-0106Mocé ML and Santacreu MA 2010. Genetic improvement of litter size in rabbits: a review. In Proceeding of the 9th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, 1–6 August 2010, Leipzig, Germany, communication 25.Mínguez, C., Sanchez, J. P., EL Nagar, A. G., Ragab, M., & Baselga, M. (2015). Growth traits of four maternal lines of rabbits founded on different criteria: comparisons at foundation and at last periods after selection. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics, 133(4), 303-315. doi:10.1111/jbg.12197Legarra A , Varona L and López de Maturana E 2008. Program TM. Retrieved on 28 September 2017 from http://snp.toulouse.inra.fr/~alegarra/Hsu, W. L., & Johnson, R. K. (2014). Analysis of 28 generations of selection for reproduction, growth, and carcass traits in swine. Journal of Animal Science, 92(11), 4806-4822. doi:10.2527/jas.2014-8125Drummond, H., Vazquez, E., Sanchez-Colon, S., Martinez-Gomez, M., & Hudson, R. (2000). Competition for Milk in the Domestic Rabbit: Survivors Benefit from Littermate Deaths. Ethology, 106(6), 511-526. doi:10.1046/j.1439-0310.2000.00554.xDrouilhet, L., Gilbert, H., Balmisse, E., Ruesche, J., Tircazes, A., Larzul, C., & Garreau, H. (2013). Genetic parameters for two selection criteria for feed efficiency in rabbits1. Journal of Animal Science, 91(7), 3121-3128. doi:10.2527/jas.2012-6176Damgaard, L. H., Rydhmer, L., Løvendahl, P., & Grandinson, K. (2003). Genetic parameters for within-litter variation in piglet birth weight and change in within-litter variation during suckling1. Journal of Animal Science, 81(3), 604-610. doi:10.2527/2003.813604xCunningham, P. J., England, M. E., Young, L. D., & Zimmerman, D. R. (1979). Selection for Ovulation Rate in Swine: Correlated Response in Litter Size and Weight. Journal of Animal Science, 48(3), 509-516. doi:10.2527/jas1979.483509xBidanel, J., Gruand, J., & Legault, C. (1996). Genetic variability of age and weight at puberty, ovulation rate and embryo survival in gilts and relations with production traits. Genetics Selection Evolution, 28(1), 103. doi:10.1186/1297-9686-28-1-103Badawy, A. Y., Peiró, R., Blasco, A., & Santacreu, M. A. (2018). Correlated responses on litter size traits and survival traits after two-stage selection for ovulation rate and litter size in rabbits. animal, 13(3), 453-459. doi:10.1017/s1751731118002033Argente, M. J., Santacreu, M. A., Climent, A., & Blasco, A. (1999). Phenotypic and genetic parameters of birth weight and weaning weight of rabbits born from unilaterally ovariectomized and intact does. Livestock Production Science, 57(2), 159-167. doi:10.1016/s0301-6226(98)00166-3Garcı́a, M. ., & Baselga, M. (2002). Estimation of correlated response on growth traits to selection in litter size of rabbits using a cryopreserved control population and genetic trends. Livestock Production Science, 78(2), 91-98. doi:10.1016/s0301-6226(02)00093-

Search for displaced vertices arising from decays of new heavy particles in 7 TeV pp collisions at ATLAS

We present the results of a search for new, heavy particles that decay at a significant distance from their production point into a final state containing charged hadrons in association with a high-momentum muon. The search is conducted in a pp-collision data sample with a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV and an integrated luminosity of 33 pb^-1 collected in 2010 by the ATLAS detector operating at the Large Hadron Collider. Production of such particles is expected in various scenarios of physics beyond the standard model. We observe no signal and place limits on the production cross-section of supersymmetric particles in an R-parity-violating scenario as a function of the neutralino lifetime. Limits are presented for different squark and neutralino masses, enabling extension of the limits to a variety of other models.Comment: 8 pages plus author list (20 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final version to appear in Physics Letters

Measurement of the polarisation of W bosons produced with large transverse momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment

This paper describes an analysis of the angular distribution of W->enu and W->munu decays, using data from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2010, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 35 pb^-1. Using the decay lepton transverse momentum and the missing transverse energy, the W decay angular distribution projected onto the transverse plane is obtained and analysed in terms of helicity fractions f0, fL and fR over two ranges of W transverse momentum (ptw): 35 < ptw < 50 GeV and ptw > 50 GeV. Good agreement is found with theoretical predictions. For ptw > 50 GeV, the values of f0 and fL-fR, averaged over charge and lepton flavour, are measured to be : f0 = 0.127 +/- 0.030 +/- 0.108 and fL-fR = 0.252 +/- 0.017 +/- 0.030, where the first uncertainties are statistical, and the second include all systematic effects.Comment: 19 pages plus author list (34 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables, revised author list, matches European Journal of Physics C versio

Observation of a new chi_b state in radiative transitions to Upsilon(1S) and Upsilon(2S) at ATLAS

The chi_b(nP) quarkonium states are produced in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.4 fb^-1, these states are reconstructed through their radiative decays to Upsilon(1S,2S) with Upsilon->mu+mu-. In addition to the mass peaks corresponding to the decay modes chi_b(1P,2P)->Upsilon(1S)gamma, a new structure centered at a mass of 10.530+/-0.005 (stat.)+/-0.009 (syst.) GeV is also observed, in both the Upsilon(1S)gamma and Upsilon(2S)gamma decay modes. This is interpreted as the chi_b(3P) system.Comment: 5 pages plus author list (18 pages total), 2 figures, 1 table, corrected author list, matches final version in Physical Review Letter

Measurement of the inclusive isolated prompt photon cross-section in pp collisions at sqrt(s)= 7 TeV using 35 pb-1 of ATLAS data

A measurement of the differential cross-section for the inclusive production of isolated prompt photons in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt(s) = 7 TeV is presented. The measurement covers the pseudorapidity ranges |eta|<1.37 and 1.52<=|eta|<2.37 in the transverse energy range 45<=E_T<400GeV. The results are based on an integrated luminosity of 35 pb-1, collected with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The yields of the signal photons are measured using a data-driven technique, based on the observed distribution of the hadronic energy in a narrow cone around the photon candidate and the photon selection criteria. The results are compared with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations and found to be in good agreement over four orders of magnitude in cross-section.Comment: 7 pages plus author list (18 pages total), 2 figures, 4 tables, final version published in Physics Letters

Measurement of the production cross section of prompt j/psi mesons in association with a W (+/-) boson in pp collisions root s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The process pp → W±J/ψ provides a powerful probe of the production mechanism of charmonium in hadronic collisions, and is also sensitive to multiple parton interactions in the colliding protons. Using the 2011 ATLAS dataset of 4.5 fb-1 of p s = 7TeV pp collisions at the LHC, the first observation is made of the production of W± + prompt J/ events in hadronic collisions, using W± → μ and J/ψ → μ+μ-. A yield of 27.4±7.5 -6.5 W± + prompt J/ψ events is observed, with a statistical significance of 5.1. The production rate as a ratio to the inclusive W± boson production rate is measured, and the double parton scattering contribution to the cross section is estimated. Copyright CERN, for the benefit of the ATLAS Collaboration

Measurement of D*+/- meson production in jets from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper reports a measurement of D*+/- meson production in jets from proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The measurement is based on a data sample recorded with the ATLAS detector with an integrated luminosity of 0.30 pb^-1 for jets with transverse momentum between 25 and 70 GeV in the pseudorapidity range |eta| < 2.5. D*+/- mesons found in jets are fully reconstructed in the decay chain: D*+ -> D0pi+, D0 -> K-pi+, and its charge conjugate. The production rate is found to be N(D*+/-)/N(jet) = 0.025 +/- 0.001(stat.) +/- 0.004(syst.) for D*+/- mesons that carry a fraction z of the jet momentum in the range 0.3 < z < 1. Monte Carlo predictions fail to describe the data at small values of z, and this is most marked at low jet transverse momentum.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (22 pages total), 5 figures, 1 table, matches published version in Physical Review

Search for scalar top quark pair production in natural gauge mediated supersymmetry models with the ATLAS detector in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

The results of a search for pair production of the lighter scalar partners of top quarks in 2.05 fb-1 of pp collisions at sqrt(s) =7 TeV using the ATLAS experiment at the LHC are reported. Scalar top quarks are searched for in events with two same flavour opposite-sign leptons (electrons or muons) with invariant mass consistent with the Z boson mass, large missing transverse momentum and jets in the final state. At least one of the jets is identified as originating from a b-quark. No excess over Standard Model expectations is found. The results are interpreted in the framework of R-parity conserving, gauge mediated Supersymmetry breaking `natural' scenarios, where the neutralino is the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle. Scalar top quark masses up to 310 GeV are excluded for the lightest neutralino mass between 115 GeV and 230 GeV at 95% confidence level, reaching an exclusion of the scalar top quark mass of 330 GeV for the lightest neutralino mass of 190 GeV. Scalar top quark masses below 240 GeV are excluded for all values of the lightest neutralino mass above the Z boson mass.Comment: 7 pages plus author list (20 pages total), 4 figures, 1 table, matches published PLB versio

Reducing heterotic M-theory to five dimensional supergravity on a manifold with boundary

This paper constructs the reduction of heterotic $M$-theory in eleven dimensions to a supergravity model on a manifold with boundary in five dimensions using a Calabi-Yau three-fold. New results are presented for the boundary terms in the action and for the boundary conditions on the bulk fields. Some general features of dualisation on a manifold with boundary are used to explain the origin of some topological terms in the action. The effect of gaugino condensation on the fermion boundary conditions leads to a `twist' in the chirality of the gravitino which can provide an uplifting mechanism in the vacuum energy to cancel the cosmological constant after moduli stabilisation.Comment: 16 pages, RevTe