163 research outputs found
Virtual Compton Scattering and the Generalized Polarizabilities of the Proton at Q^2=0.92 and 1.76 GeV^2
Virtual Compton Scattering (VCS) on the proton has been studied at Jefferson
Lab using the exclusive photon electroproduction reaction (e p --> e p gamma).
This paper gives a detailed account of the analysis which has led to the
determination of the structure functions P_LL-P_TT/epsilon and P_LT, and the
electric and magnetic generalized polarizabilities (GPs) alpha_E(Q^2) and
beta_M(Q^2) at values of the four-momentum transfer squared Q^2= 0.92 and 1.76
GeV^2. These data, together with the results of VCS experiments at lower
momenta, help building a coherent picture of the electric and magnetic GPs of
the proton over the full measured Q^2-range, and point to their non-trivial
behavior.Comment: version 2: modified according to PRC Editor's and Referee's
recommendations. Archival paper for the E93-050 experiment at JLab Hall A. 28
pages, 23 figures, 5 cross-section tables. To be submitted to Phys.Rev.
Backward electroproduction of pi0 mesons on protons in the region of nucleon resonances at four momentum transfer squared Q**2 = 1.0 GeV**2
Exclusive electroproduction of pi0 mesons on protons in the backward
hemisphere has been studied at Q**2 = 1.0 GeV**2 by detecting protons in the
forward direction in coincidence with scattered electrons from the 4 GeV
electron beam in Jefferson Lab's Hall A. The data span the range of the total
(gamma* p) center-of-mass energy W from the pion production threshold to W =
2.0 GeV. The differential cross sections sigma_T+epsilon*sigma_L, sigma_TL, and
sigma_TT were separated from the azimuthal distribution and are presented
together with the MAID and SAID parametrizations.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures, information can be found at
http://hallaweb.jlab.org/experiment/E93-050/vcs.html updated content about
SAID analysis updated MAID results following new reference nucl-th/0310041
updated figure
Towards a resolution of the proton form factor problem: new electron and positron scattering data
There is a significant discrepancy between the values of the proton electric
form factor, , extracted using unpolarized and polarized electron
scattering. Calculations predict that small two-photon exchange (TPE)
contributions can significantly affect the extraction of from the
unpolarized electron-proton cross sections. We determined the TPE contribution
by measuring the ratio of positron-proton to electron-proton elastic scattering
cross sections using a simultaneous, tertiary electron-positron beam incident
on a liquid hydrogen target and detecting the scattered particles in the
Jefferson Lab CLAS detector. This novel technique allowed us to cover a wide
range in virtual photon polarization () and momentum transfer
() simultaneously, as well as to cancel luminosity-related systematic
errors. The cross section ratio increases with decreasing at . This measurement is consistent with the size of the form
factor discrepancy at GeV and with hadronic calculations
including nucleon and intermediate states, which have been shown to
resolve the discrepancy up to GeV.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, submitted to PR
Precision measurements of of the proton and the deuteron with 6 GeV electrons
The inclusive polarized structure functions of the proton and deuteron, g1p
and g1d, were measured with high statistical precision using polarized 6 GeV
electrons incident on a polarized ammonia target in Hall B at Jefferson
Laboratory. Electrons scattered at lab angles between 18 and 45 degrees were
detected using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS). For the usual
DIS kinematics, Q^2>1 GeV^2 and the final-state invariant mass W>2 GeV, the
ratio of polarized to unpolarized structure functions g1/F1 is found to be
nearly independent of Q^2 at fixed x. Significant resonant structure is
apparent at values of W up to 2.3 GeV. In the framework of perturbative QCD,
the high-W results can be used to better constrain the polarization of quarks
and gluons in the nucleon, as well as high-twist contributions
Deep exclusive electroproduction off the proton at CLAS
The exclusive electroproduction of above the resonance region was
studied using the Large Acceptance Spectrometer () at
Jefferson Laboratory by scattering a 6 GeV continuous electron beam off a
hydrogen target. The large acceptance and good resolution of ,
together with the high luminosity, allowed us to measure the cross section for
the process in 140 (, , ) bins:
, 1.6 GeV GeV and 0.1 GeV
GeV. For most bins, the statistical accuracy is on the order of a few
percent. Differential cross sections are compared to two theoretical models,
based either on hadronic (Regge phenomenology) or on partonic (handbag diagram)
degrees of freedom. Both can describe the gross features of the data reasonably
well, but differ strongly in their ingredients. If the handbag approach can be
validated in this kinematical region, our data contain the interesting
potential to experimentally access transversity Generalized Parton
Distributions.Comment: 18pages, 21figures,2table
The supportive care needs of parents with a child with a rare disease : results of an online survey
Background: Parents caring for a child affected by a rare disease have unmet needs, the origins of which are complex and varied. Our aim was to determine the supportive care needs of parents caring for a child with a rare disease.
Methods: An online survey was developed consisting of 45 questions (108 items) and separated into six domains. The survey included questions about perceived level of satisfaction with receiving care, experiences and needs of providing daily care, the impacts of disease on relationships, the emotional and psychological burdens of disease, and parents overall satisfaction with the support received.
Results: Three-hundred and one parents from Australia and New Zealand completed the survey; 91 % (n = 275/301) were mothers, with 132 distinct rare diseases being reported. Fifty-four percent (n = 140/259) of parents were dissatisfied with health professionals’ level of knowledge and awareness of disease; 71 % (n = 130/183) of parents felt they received less support compared to other parents. Information regarding present (60 %, n = 146/240) and future services (72 %, n = 174/240) available for their child were considered important. Almost half of parents (45 %, n = 106/236) struggled financially, 38 % (n = 99/236) reduced their working hours and 34 % (n = 79/236) ceased paid employment. Forty-two percent (n = 99/223) of parents had no access to a disease specific support group, and 58 % (n = 134/230) stated that their number of friends had reduced since the birth of their child; 75 % (n = 173/230) had no contact with other parents with a child with a similar disease, and 46 % (n = 106/230) reported feeling socially isolated and desperately lonely. Most frequent emotions expressed by parents in the week prior to completing the survey were anxiety and fear (53 %, n = 119/223), anger and frustration (46 %, n = 103/223) and uncertainty (39 %, n = 88/223).
Conclusion: This study is the first to develop an online survey specifically for use with parents to investigate their supportive care needs across a large and diverse group of rare diseases. The findings highlight that parents with a child with a rare disease have common unmet needs regardless of what disease their child has. Such information may allow health providers to improve child outcomes through improving parental supportive care
Virtual Compton Scattering and Neutral Pion Electroproduction in the Resonance Region up to the Deep Inelastic Region at Backward Angles
We have made the first measurements of the virtual Compton scattering (VCS)
process via the H exclusive reaction in the nucleon resonance
region, at backward angles. Results are presented for the -dependence at
fixed GeV, and for the -dependence at fixed near 1.5 GeV.
The VCS data show resonant structures in the first and second resonance
regions. The observed -dependence is smooth. The measured ratio of
H to H cross sections emphasizes the different
sensitivity of these two reactions to the various nucleon resonances. Finally,
when compared to Real Compton Scattering (RCS) at high energy and large angles,
our VCS data at the highest (1.8-1.9 GeV) show a striking -
independence, which may suggest a transition to a perturbative scattering
mechanism at the quark level.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures. To appear in Phys.Rev.
Chemical vapour deposition synthetic diamond: materials, technology and applications
Substantial developments have been achieved in the synthesis of chemical
vapour deposition (CVD) diamond in recent years, providing engineers and
designers with access to a large range of new diamond materials. CVD diamond
has a number of outstanding material properties that can enable exceptional
performance in applications as diverse as medical diagnostics, water treatment,
radiation detection, high power electronics, consumer audio, magnetometry and
novel lasers. Often the material is synthesized in planar form, however
non-planar geometries are also possible and enable a number of key
applications. This article reviews the material properties and characteristics
of single crystal and polycrystalline CVD diamond, and how these can be
utilized, focusing particularly on optics, electronics and electrochemistry. It
also summarizes how CVD diamond can be tailored for specific applications,
based on the ability to synthesize a consistent and engineered high performance
product.Comment: 51 pages, 16 figure
Measurement of the Generalized Polarizabilities of the Proton in Virtual Scattering at Q2=0.92 and 1.76 GeV2: I. Low Energy Expansion Analysis
Virtual Compton Scattering is studied at the Thomas Jefferson National
Accelerator Facility at low Center-of-Mass energies, below pion threshold.
Following the Low Energy Theorem for the process, we obtain
values for the two structure functions Pll-Ptt/epsilon and Plt at four-momentum
transfer squared Q2=0.92 and 1.76 GeV2.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to be submitted to PRL. Figs 1 and 2, lettering
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Systematic review with meta-analysis of the epidemiological evidence relating smoking to COPD, chronic bronchitis and emphysema
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Smoking is a known cause of the outcomes COPD, chronic bronchitis (CB) and emphysema, but no previous systematic review exists. We summarize evidence for various smoking indices.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Based on MEDLINE searches and other sources we obtained papers published to 2006 describing epidemiological studies relating incidence or prevalence of these outcomes to smoking. Studies in children or adolescents, or in populations at high respiratory disease risk or with co-existing diseases were excluded. Study-specific data were extracted on design, exposures and outcomes considered, and confounder adjustment. For each outcome RRs/ORs and 95% CIs were extracted for ever, current and ex smoking and various dose response indices, and meta-analyses and meta-regressions conducted to determine how relationships were modified by various study and RR characteristics.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 218 studies identified, 133 provide data for COPD, 101 for CB and 28 for emphysema. RR estimates are markedly heterogeneous. Based on random-effects meta-analyses of most-adjusted RR/ORs, estimates are elevated for ever smoking (COPD 2.89, CI 2.63-3.17, n = 129 RRs; CB 2.69, 2.50-2.90, n = 114; emphysema 4.51, 3.38-6.02, n = 28), current smoking (COPD 3.51, 3.08-3.99; CB 3.41, 3.13-3.72; emphysema 4.87, 2.83-8.41) and ex smoking (COPD 2.35, 2.11-2.63; CB 1.63, 1.50-1.78; emphysema 3.52, 2.51-4.94). For COPD, RRs are higher for males, for studies conducted in North America, for cigarette smoking rather than any product smoking, and where the unexposed base is never smoking any product, and are markedly lower when asthma is included in the COPD definition. Variations by sex, continent, smoking product and unexposed group are in the same direction for CB, but less clearly demonstrated. For all outcomes RRs are higher when based on mortality, and for COPD are markedly lower when based on lung function. For all outcomes, risk increases with amount smoked and pack-years. Limited data show risk decreases with increasing starting age for COPD and CB and with increasing quitting duration for COPD. No clear relationship is seen with duration of smoking.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results confirm and quantify the causal relationships with smoking.</p
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