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A bstract This report details the capabilities of LHCb and its upgrades towards the study of kaons and hyperons. The analyses performed so far are reviewed, elaborating on the prospects for some key decay channels, while proposing some new measurements in LHCb to expand its strangeness research program.

The GooFit Framework is designed to perform maximum-likelihood fits for arbitrary functions on various parallel back ends, for example a GPU. We present an extension to GooFit which adds the functionality to perform time-dependent amplitude analyses of pseudoscalar mesons decaying into four pseudoscalar final states. Benchmarks of this functionality show a significant performance increase when utilizing a GPU compared to a CPU. Furthermore, this extension is employed to study the sensitivity on the D0−D¯0 mixing parameters x and y in a time-dependent amplitude analysis of the decay D0 → K+π−π+π−. Studying a sample of 50 000 events and setting the central values to the world average of x = (0.49 ± 0.15)% and y = (0.61 ± 0.08)%, the statistical sensitivities of x and y are determined to be σ(x) = 0.019 % and σ(y) = 0.019 %.

Hydra is a header-only, templated and C++11-compliant framework designed to perform the typical bottleneck calculations found in common HEP data analyses on massively parallel platforms. The framework is implemented on top of the C++11 Standard Library and a variadic version of the Thrust library and is designed to run on Linux systems, using OpenMP, CUDA and TBB enabled devices. This contribution summarizes the main features of Hydra. A basic description of the overall design, functionality and user interface is provided, along with some code examples and measurements of performance.

A measurement of Z → τ ⁺ τ ⁻production cross-section is presented using data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2 fb ⁻¹ , from pp collisions at √s̅=8 TeV collected by the LHCb experiment. The τ ⁺ τ ⁻candidates are reconstructed in final states with the first tau lepton decaying leptonically, and the second decaying either leptonically or to one or three charged hadrons. The production cross-section is measured for Z bosons with invariant mass between 60 and 120 GeV/c ² , which decay to tau leptons with transverse momenta greater than 20 GeV/c and pseudorapidities between 2.0 and 4.5. The cross-section is determined to be σ_(pp)_(→ Z→ τ⁺)_(τ⁻)=95.8 ± 2.1 ± 4.6 ± 0.2 ± 1.1 pb, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, the third is due to the LHC beam energy uncertainty, and the fourth to the integrated luminosity uncertainty. This result is compatible with NNLO Standard model predictions. The ratio of the cross-sections for Z → τ ⁺ τ ⁻to Z → μ ⁺ μ ⁻(Z → e ⁺ e ⁻ ), determined to be 1.01 ± 0.05 (1.02 ± 0.06), is consistent with the lepton-universality hypothesis in Z decays.

A test of lepton universality, performed by measuring the ratio of the branching fractions of the B $^{0}$→ K $^{*0}$μ $^{+}$μ $^{−}$and B $^{0}$→ K $^{*0}$e $^{+}$e $^{−}$decays,$ {R}_{K^{*0}} $, is presented. The K $^{*0}$meson is reconstructed in the final state K $^{+}$π $^{−}$ , which is required to have an invariant mass within 100 MeV/c $^{2}$of the known K $^{*}$ (892) $^{0}$mass. The analysis is performed using proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 3 fb $^{−1}$ , collected by the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. The ratio is measured in two regions of the dilepton invariant mass squared, q $^{2}$ , to be$ {R}_{K^{*0}}=\\left\\{\\begin{array}{l}{0.66_{-}^{+}}_{0.07}^{0.11}\\left(\\mathrm{stat}\\right)\\pm 0.03\\left(\\mathrm{syst}\\right)\\kern1em \\mathrm{f}\\mathrm{o}\\mathrm{r}\\kern1em 0.045<{q}^2<1.1\\kern0.5em {\\mathrm{GeV}}^2/{c}^4,\\hfill \\\ {}{0.69_{-}^{+}}_{0.07}^{0.11}\\left(\\mathrm{stat}\\right)\\pm 0.05\\left(\\mathrm{syst}\\right)\\kern1em \\mathrm{f}\\mathrm{o}\\mathrm{r}\\kern1em 1.1<{q}^2<6.0\\kern0.5em {\\mathrm{GeV}}^2/{c}^4.\\hfill \\end{array}\\right. $

Bose-Einstein correlations of same-sign charged pions, produced in proton-proton collisions at a 7 TeV centre-of-mass energy, are studied using a data sample collected by the LHCb experiment. The signature for Bose-Einstein correlations is observed in the form of an enhancement of pairs of like-sign charged pions with small four-momentum difference squared. The charged-particle multiplicity dependence of the Bose-Einstein correlation parameters describing the correlation strength and the size of the emitting source is investigated, determining both the correlation radius and the chaoticity parameter. The measured correlation radius is found to increase as a function of increasing charged-particle multiplicity, while the chaoticity parameter is seen to decrease.

It was evaluated the production and quality of milk produced by goats grazing Panicum maximum Jacq cv. Tanzania (Guineagrass) and receiving four levels of concentrate supplementation. Eight Anglo Nubian goats, aged between two and four years, 43.6 kg in average body weight and between the 2nd and 4th lactation were distributed into two 4 x 4 balanced Latin square design. The supplementation levels were: 0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% of body weight. The concentrate was composed of corn and soybean meal. The intake of dry matter and nutrients, and the daily production of milk, 4% fat-corrected milk, fat, protein, lactose and total solids had increased (p < 0.05) with supplementation, whereas fat and total solids percentage were reduced (p < 0.05). The concentrate supplementation up to 1.5% of live weight in Tanzania-grass pasture raises the intake of dry matter and nutrients, resulting in a linear increase in milk production and of its components.

Meiotic abnormalities in potato hamper sexual recombination, due to their influence on pollen production andviability rate. In this study we evaluated pollen viability and meiosis of three clones of Solanum commersonii commersoniiDun. (SCC), two of Solanum commersonii malmeanum Bitt. (SCM) and seven clones and four cultivars of Solanum tuberosumL., with the purpose of indicating promising genotypes for genetic breeding of potato. Early chromosome migration atmetaphases I and II and chromosome pairing anomalies were the main causes of pollen inviability in the evaluated genotypes.Clones SCC 07 and SCM 60 are the most suitable for sexual recombination, owing to the high percentage of viable pollengrains and low frequencies of meiotic abnormalities.

Background A high carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) has been related to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, but has not been previously evaluated in amputees. The aim of this study was to compare PWV between amputees and nonamputees. Methods In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from 60 male lower limb amputees and 86 male age-matched nonamputees. PWV was measured noninvasively using a Complior® device. All participants underwent laboratory investigations and anthropometry. The difference in PWV between amputee and nonamputees was estimated. Multivariate regression was used to adjust for differences between the groups as a result of potential confounders. Results PWV was higher in amputees than in nonamputees (10.8 ± 1.9 m/sec versus 9.9 ± 1.8 m/sec, P = 0.008, respectively). This difference remained even after adjusting for confounding factors. Conclusion A higher PWV was demonstrated in lower limb amputees. Routine assessment of PWV may contribute to cardiovascular risk stratification in amputees.

Mixture of metals and herbicides in rivers may pose relevant risks for the health of surrounding communities. Humans may be exposed to river pollution through intake of contaminated water and fish, as well as irrigated agricultural products. The aim of this study was to assess the human health risks of environmental exposure to metals and herbicides through water and fish intake in the Pardo River. Metals (Al, As, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni, Tl, Sn, V, and Zn) were analyzed in river water and in edible fish. Herbicides (ametryn, atrazine, diuron, hexazinone, simazine, and tebuthiuron) were analyzed in river water. Seasonal variances were also studied. Aluminum, Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn levels in river water were higher than the USEPA benchmarks. Non-carcinogenic risks due to pollutants mixture exposure were above the limit, and carcinogenic risks of As exposure were >10 −6 in the sampling points during the rainy season. Metal levels in fish were lower than the Brazilian legislation and do not pose a threat to public health. Herbicides were detected in four sampling points, with atrazine concentrations (range 0.16–0.32 μg/L) below the Brazilian standard (2.0 μg/L), but above the European Union standard (0.1 μg/L). Considering the water supply needs of cities located in the Pardo River Basin and the persistence of metals and herbicides, the present study indicated that there was a seasonal influence on non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks to human health, especially in the rainy season. Studies for water treatment plants implantation should consider the risks of exposure to persistent substances, in order to protect the population.