Singularity structure of the pi N scattering amplitude in a meson-exchange model up to energies W < 2.0 GeV

Within the previously developed Dubna-Mainz-Taipei meson-exchange model, the singularity structure of the pi N scattering amplitudes has been investigated. For all partial waves up to F waves and c.m. energies up to W = 2 GeV, the T-matrix poles have been calculated by three different techniques: analytic continuation into the complex energy plane, speed-plot and the regularization method. For all 4-star resonances, we find a perfect agreement between the analytic continuation and the regularization method. We also find resonance poles for resonances that are not so well established, but in these cases the pole positions and residues obtained by analytic continuation can substantially differ from the results predicted by the speed-plot and regularization methods.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures, 4 table

The detailed mechanism of the eta production in pp scattering up to the Tlab = 4.5 GeV

Contrary to very early beliefs, the experimental cross section data for the eta production in proton-proton scattering are well described if pi and only eta meson exchange diagrams are used to calculate the Born term. The inclusion of initial and final state interactions is done in the factorization approximation by using the inverse square of the Jost function. The two body Jost functions are obtained from the S matrices in the low energy effective range approximation. The danger of double counting in the p-eta final state interaction is discussed. It is shown that higher partial waves in meson-nucleon amplitudes do not contribute significantly bellow excess energy of Q=100 MeV. Known difficulties of reducing the multi resonance model to a single resonance one are illustrated.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, corrected typos in relation (3), changed content (added section with differential cross sections

Evaluation of polygenic determinants of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by a candidate genes resequencing strategy

NAFLD is a polygenic condition but the individual and cumulative contribution of identified genes remains to be established. To get additional insight into the genetic architecture of NAFLD, GWAS-identified GCKR, PPP1R3B, NCAN, LYPLAL1 and TM6SF2 genes were resequenced by next generation sequencing in a cohort of 218 NAFLD subjects and 227 controls, where PNPLA3 rs738409 and MBOAT7 rs641738 genotypes were also obtained. A total of 168 sequence variants were detected and 47 were annotated as functional. When all functional variants within each gene were considered, only those in TM6SF2 accumulate in NAFLD subjects compared to controls (P = 0.04). Among individual variants, rs1260326 in GCKR and rs641738 in MBOAT7 (recessive), rs58542926 in TM6SF2 and rs738409 in PNPLA3 (dominant) emerged as associated to NAFLD, with PNPLA3 rs738409 being the strongest predictor (OR 3.12, 95% CI, 1.8-5.5, P 0.28 was associated with a 3-fold increased risk of NAFLD. Interestingly, rs61756425 in PPP1R3B and rs641738 in MBOAT7 genes were predictors of NAFLD severity. Overall, TM6SF2, GCKR, PNPLA3 and MBOAT7 were confirmed to be associated with NAFLD and a score based on these genes was highly predictive of this condition. In addition, PPP1R3B and MBOAT7 might influence NAFLD severity

Singularity structure of the pi N scattering amplitude in a meson-exchange model up to energies W < 2.0 GeV

Within the previously developed Dubna-Mainz-Taipei meson-exchange model, the singularity structure of the pi N scattering amplitudes has been investigated. For all partial waves up to F waves and c.m. energies up to W = 2 GeV, the T-matrix poles have been calculated by three different techniques: analytic continuation into the complex energy plane, speed-plot and the regularization method. For all 4-star resonances, we find a perfect agreement between the analytic continuation and the regularization method. We also find resonance poles for resonances that are not so well established, but in these cases the pole positions and residues obtained by analytic continuation can substantially differ from the results predicted by the speed-plot and regularization methods.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures, 4 table

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 detection by real time polymerase chain reaction using pooling strategy of nasal samples

COVID-19 is a life-threatening multisistemic infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Infection control relies on timely identification and isolation of infected people who can alberg the virus for up to 14 days, providing important opportunities for undetected transmission. This note describes the application of rRT-PCR test for simpler, faster and less invasive monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 infection using pooling strategy of samples. Seventeen positive patients were provided with sterile dry swabs and asked to self-collected 2 nasal specimens (#NS1 and #NS2). The #NS1 was individually placed in a single tube and the #NS2 was placed in another tube together with 19 NSs collected from 19 negative patients. Both tubes were then tested with conventional molecular rRT-PCR and the strength of pooling nasal testing was compared with the molecular test performed on the single NS of each positive patient. The pooling strategy detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA to a similar extent to the single test, even when Ct value is on average high (Ct 37-38), confirming that test sensibility is not substantially affected even if the pool contains only one low viral load positive sample. Furthermore, the pooling strategy have benefits for SARS-CoV-2 routinary monitoring of groups in regions with a low SARS-CoV-2 prevalenc

Phenomenology of pp->pp eta reaction close to threshold

The recent high statistics measurement of the pp -> pp eta reaction at an excess energy Q=15.5 MeV has been analysed by means of partial wave decomposition of the cross section. Guided by the dominance of the final state 1S0 pp interaction (FSI), we keep only terms involving the FSI enhancement factor. The measured p-p and p-eta effective mass spectra can be well reproduced by lifting the standard on-shell approximation in the enhancement factor and by allowing for a linear energy dependence in the leading 3P0->1S0,s partial wave amplitude. Higher partial waves seem to play only a marginal role