Searches for new physics using dijet events at the LHC

We present a concise review of the plans of the ATLAS and CMS collaborations to search for new physics using dijet events. The inclusive cross section as a function of jet p$_{T}$, the dijet mass distribution and the dijet ratio's CMS techniques are presented together with their potential of discovery with a focus on the integrated luminosities of 10, 100 and 1000 pb$^{-1}$. Analogously, the inclusive jet and angular distribution searches in the dijet channel from ATLAS are presented together with the potential of discovery given in terms of needed integrated luminosity.Comment: Talk given at the "Rencontres de Moriond" QCD 200

Rus v Comcare: The Rules of Evidence in the AAT

The Rus v Comcare cases arise from a claim for compensation by the widowed Ms Rus. The cases saw a highly contentious piece of evidence tendered. This evidence was hearsay of a lay opinion that answered the ultimate issue. The evidence was considered by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (‘AAT’) and the Federal Court of Australia (‘Court’). These considerations demonstrate the uncertainty of how the rules of evidence are applicable in tribunals. Specifically, the cases raise applicability of the rules against opinion and hearsay evidence. Further, the relevance of delay and the parol evidence rule to these cases is raised. The principles and policies governing these issues are analysed, which warranted minimal if any discussion in the cases, to assist practitioners in similar cases

Development and Maintenance of Self-Disclosure on Facebook: The Role of Personality Traits

This study explored the relationships between Facebook self-disclosure and personality traits in a sample of Italian users. The aim was to analyze the predictive role of Big Five personality traits on different parameters of breadth and depth of selfdisclosed behaviors online. Facebook users, aged between 18 and 64 years of age (Mage = 25.3 years, SD = 6.8; N = 958), of which 51% were female, voluntarily completed an online survey assessing personality traits and Facebook self-disclosure. Results at a series of hierarchical regression analyses significantly corroborated the hypotheses that high extroverted and openness people tend to disclose on Facebook a significant amount of personal information, whereas high consciousness and agreeableness users are less inclined to do it. Furthermore, more extroverts and agreeableness people develop less intimacy on Facebook, differently from those with high levels of openness. Results also corroborated the hypothesis of a full mediation of time usage in the relationship between personality factors such as extroversion and conscientiousness with breadth of Facebook self-disclosure. Overall, according to the findings of the current study, personality traits and Facebook self-disclosure become central both as predictive variables for depicting the different profiles of potential addicted and as variables to help educators, teachers, and clinicians to develop training or therapeutic programs aimed at preventing the risk of Internet addiction. Limitations of the study are discussed, and directions for future research are suggested

The Italian version of the Thinking About Life Experiences Questionnaire and its relationship with gender, age, and life events on Facebook

The present study provided a cross-cultural validation of the Thinking About Life Experiences Scale-revised (TALE-R) in an Italian sample of Facebook users (n = 492; female = 378; male = 114; mean age 26.1) to test for replication and universality of the TALE-R three-factor model. Furthermore, it explored the interrelations among gender, age, the scores at the TALE-R and the frequency of posting textual/visual information about individuals' life events on Facebook. Results at exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis gave empirical support to both of a tripartite model for the functions of autobiographical memory (i.e., directive-behavior, social-bonding, and self-continuity) and measurement invariance of this three-factor model across gender and age. Further results at linear correlation and regression analyses showed that directive-behavior and self-continuity functions of autobiographical memory are significantly related to the ways people use Facebook for personal documentation. Age differences more than gender influence this association. Discussion and conclusion reported both theoretical and empirical implications of the findings of the study

Flux tubes in the SU(3) vacuum

We analyze the distribution of the chromoelectric field generated by a static quark-antiquark pair in the SU(3) vacuum. We find that the transverse profile of the flux tube resembles the dual version of the Abrikosov vortex field distribution and give an estimate of the London penetration length in the confined vacuum.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, poster contribution to the XXIX International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory, LATTICE 201

Apical Testis Structure and the Effects of Cadmium Treatment on Spermatogenesis in Drosophila

The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is used extensively as a model for studying molecular, genetic and cellular aspects of human disease and physiology. Our lab has used D. melanogaster and related species to study the structure of the testis stem cell niche, as well as other aspects of spermatogenesis. We previously revealed a novel stem cell niche structure in D. pseudoobscura, a distant relative of D. melanogaster. The signaling center of the D. melanogaster stem cell niche has a well-characterized rosette arrangement of fasciclin-positive cells terms the “hub”. D. pseudoobscura, however, lacks a punctuate hub and instead displays a hemispherical fasciclin-positive zone that fills the apical end of the testis. The first aim of the current work was to characterize the stem cell niche in two additional species based on their evolutionary relationship to D. melanogaster and D. pseudoobscura: D. ananassae and D. persimilis. D. persimilis is part of the obscura group and is closely related to D. pseudoobscura; D. ananassae is part of the melanogaster group. Our work shows that D. ananassae has the rosette hub morphology while D. persiimilis displays the D. pseudoobscura morphology. The second focus of this project was to examine the effects of cadmium (CdCl2) exposure on spermatogenesis in D. melanogaster. Cadmium toxicity is well-studied in mammalian testes and sperm production, but not in Drosophila. In order to assess the effects of CdCl2 on spermatogenesis in D. melanogaster we developed two assays: a nuclear staining (DAPI) assay to assess cadmium dosage effects on late spermiogenesis and a Live/Dead assay to assess mature sperm viability. The results of the DAPI assay and the Live/Dead assay both show a detrimental effect by CdCl 2 on spermatogenesis in D. melanogaster. The goal of the DAPI assay was to examine the number and arrangement of sperm bundles in the basal end of the D. melanogaster testis following cadmium treatment. The DAPI assay showed that exposure to increasing concentration of CdCl2 resulted in an increase in the appearance of abnormal sperm bundles. The Live/Dead assay showed: (1) an increase in the total number of sperm present in the seminal vesicle proportional to increasing amounts of cadmium chloride and (2) an increase in the number of dead sperm proportional to increasing amounts of cadmium chloride

Apical Testis Structure and the Effects of Cadmium Treatment on Spermatogenesis in Drosophila

The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is used extensively as a model for studying molecular, genetic and cellular aspects of human disease and physiology. Our lab has used D. melanogaster and related species to study the structure of the testis stem cell niche, as well as other aspects of spermatogenesis. We previously revealed a novel stem cell niche structure in D. pseudoobscura, a distant relative of D. melanogaster. The signaling center of the D. melanogaster stem cell niche has a well-characterized rosette arrangement of fasciclin-positive cells terms the “hub”. D. pseudoobscura, however, lacks a punctuate hub and instead displays a hemispherical fasciclin-positive zone that fills the apical end of the testis. The first aim of the current work was to characterize the stem cell niche in two additional species based on their evolutionary relationship to D. melanogaster and D. pseudoobscura: D. ananassae and D. persimilis. D. persimilis is part of the obscura group and is closely related to D. pseudoobscura; D. ananassae is part of the melanogaster group. Our work shows that D. ananassae has the rosette hub morphology while D. persiimilis displays the D. pseudoobscura morphology. The second focus of this project was to examine the effects of cadmium (CdCl2) exposure on spermatogenesis in D. melanogaster. Cadmium toxicity is well-studied in mammalian testes and sperm production, but not in Drosophila. In order to assess the effects of CdCl2 on spermatogenesis in D. melanogaster we developed two assays: a nuclear staining (DAPI) assay to assess cadmium dosage effects on late spermiogenesis and a Live/Dead assay to assess mature sperm viability. The results of the DAPI assay and the Live/Dead assay both show a detrimental effect by CdCl 2 on spermatogenesis in D. melanogaster. The goal of the DAPI assay was to examine the number and arrangement of sperm bundles in the basal end of the D. melanogaster testis following cadmium treatment. The DAPI assay showed that exposure to increasing concentration of CdCl2 resulted in an increase in the appearance of abnormal sperm bundles. The Live/Dead assay showed: (1) an increase in the total number of sperm present in the seminal vesicle proportional to increasing amounts of cadmium chloride and (2) an increase in the number of dead sperm proportional to increasing amounts of cadmium chloride

Metallicity evolution of AGNs from UV emission-lines based on a new index

We analyzed the evolution of the metallicity of the gas with the redshift for a sample of AGNs in a very wide redshift range (0<z<4) using ultraviolet emission-lines from the narrow-line regions (NLRs) and photoionization models. The new index C43=log(CIV+CIII])/HeII is suggested as a metallicity indicator for AGNs. Based on this indicator, we confirmed the no metallicity evolution of NLRs with the redshift pointed out by previous works. We found that metallicity of AGNs shows similar evolution than the one predicted by cosmic semi-analytic models of galaxy formation set within the Cold Dark Matter merging hierarchy (for z < 3). Our results predict a mean metallicity for local objects in agreement with the solar value (12+log(O/H)=8.69). This value is about the same that the maximum oxygen abundance value derived for the central parts of local spiral galaxies. Very low metallicity log(Z/Z_{\odot})~ -0.8 for some objects in the range 1.5 < z <3 is derived.Comment: 25 pages, 10 figures, accepted MNRA

A study for the conservation of the architectural Islamic complex of Xhemal in Delvina (Albania)

Water is a fundamental element for Islamic culture and the need to purify themselves before the prayer and religious celebrations is made in special baths - near mosques - called hammam. The hammam is usually a large public service building, but there are particular types of small dimensions and for the exclusive use of a wealthy family or, as in the case study here presented - related to the Islamic complex of Xhemal in Delvina (Albania) - an integral part of a religious centre. Characterised by a singular complexity, the monumental site of Xhemal is composed of some aboveground tombs, a mosque, a tekke, two türbe, a fountain and a hammam indeed, as well as of ancient tall plants (cypresses and plane trees). The building, already listed by the national Institute for Cultural Monuments of Albania, has been the subject of a study carried out by prof. Valter Shtylla at the end of the 70s and classed as a hammam from the medieval period. Provisionally measured only in its plan, it is today in a state of serious deterioration, while an example of great interest. For this reason and, along with the entire complex, since 2008 it has been an object of study by the University of Bergamo and Enna Kore, within the research group formed by the Milan Polytechnic and the University Ca' Foscari, in the framework of the program “Albania tomorrow” co-funded by the Cariplo Foundation, in collaboration with the municipality of Delvina. The complex has recently been subjected to a complete laser scanning survey in order to develop a well-planned preservation and valorisation programme

Integrated Methodologies for the Analysis and Conservation of the Old Bar (Montenegro): the Case Study of Doge’s Palace

The old town of Bar in Montenegro, a Byzantine settlement rebuilt on the remains of a more ancient town destroyed in the 3rd century during the Roman invasion of Dalmatia, ruled between 1443 and 1571 from the city of Venice and then by the Turks until 1878 is, today, a little over an abandoned village but, at the same time, an extraordinary monument from the past to protect and enhance. Traces of its most glorious past are still recognizable in the ruins and artifacts of daily life become known following recent archaeological excavations. Stari Bar is a site unique, a sort of miracle that fortunately survived the ravages of time and negligence of the men. However, it now runs the risk of being overwhelmed by a frenzy of "intervention" that leaves little room for reflection and that can produce errors, which cannot be remedied in the future. Rather than rebuild a fake medieval city or give way to immobility, risking that the culture of ruin prevail, it is necessary to pursue activities of knowledge, study and promotion allowing local communities (as well as those further afield) to re-appropriate the memory of those architectural and urban spaces, triggering new ideas for their possible regeneration. In this framework, this paper presents the case study of the "Doge's Palace", analyzing this important monument in depth knowledge, in order to formulate a proposal for its conservation and valorisation. The experience here reported responds to the initial phase of a more ambitious project aiming at producing a three dimensional “picture” of the site in its current state: a representation made both through the documentation of the town’s most relevant parts and the use of virtual tours and 3D modelling. This activity intends to support the nomination proposal submitted by Montenegro in 2010 to include Stari Bar in UNESCO’s World Heritage List