Spin content of constituent quarks and one-spin asymmetries in inclusive processes

We consider mechanism for one-spin asymmetries observed in inclusive hadron production. The main role belongs to the orbital angular momentum of the quark-antiquark cloud in the internal structure of constituent quarks. We argue that the origin of the asymmetries in pion production is a result of retaining of this internal angular orbital momentum by the perturbative phase of QCD under transition from the non-perturbative phase. The non-perturbative hadron structure is based on the results of chiral quark models. PACS number(s): 11.30.Qc, 12.40.Pp, 13.75.Ni, 13.88.+eComment: 21 pages LaTeX + 8 figures (not included

A new method to measure anatomic knee alignment for large studies of OA: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

SummaryObjectiveTo develop and validate a new and improved software method to rapidly determine femur–tibia angle (FTA).MethodsThree readers, two skilled and one unskilled, without any formal medical training, measured FTA in 142 subjects from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI). The reader reliability was assessed using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), root mean square standard deviation (RMSSD), and Bland–Altman plots, comparing the existing and new FTA methods. Gender-specific linear regression assessed the relationship of FTA with the hip–knee–ankle angle (HKA).ResultsThe ICC (RMSSD) for intra- and inter-reader reproducibility of the existing FTA method was 0.96 (0.77°) and 0.92 (1.38°), respectively, and for the new technique was 0.98 (0.25°) and 0.98 (0.37°), with similar results for all three readers. Bland–Altman 95% limits of agreement were greater than ±2° for the existing, and ±1° for the new method. The r-value for the relation of FTA to HKA was 0.68 and 0.72 for the existing and new methods, respectively. Varus (HKA ≤ −2°)/neutral (−2° < HKA < 2°)/valgus (HKA ≥ 2°) alignment based on predicted HKA agreed moderately with measured HKA (weighted kappa = 0.53), and had moderate sensitivity (73%) and specificity (84%) for varus malalignment. The new FTA was related to HKA using a linear equation with a slope of 0.98 and an offset of 4.0°.ConclusionsSince it is largely automated and uses unambiguous anatomical landmarks, the new method is highly reproducible and can be made on a standard posteroanterior (PA) knee radiograph by a relatively unskilled reader

Search for Direct CP Violation in Non-Leptonic Decays of Charged Ξ\Xi and Λ\Lambda Hyperons

A search for direct CP violation in the non-leptonic decays of hyperons has been performed. In comparing the product of the decay parameters, $\alpha_{\Xi}\alpha_{\Lambda}$, in terms of an asymmetry parameter, $A_{\Xi\Lambda}$, between hyperons and anti-hyperons in the charged $\Xi \to \Lambda \pi$ and $\Lambda \to p \pi$ decay sequence, we found no evidence of direct CP violations. The parameter $A_{\Xi\Lambda}$ was measured to be $0.012 \pm 0.014$.Comment: Submitted for publication; RevTex, 13 pages, 4 figure

Nectar Yeasts in the Tall Larkspur Delphinium barbeyi (Ranunculaceae) and Effects on Components of Pollinator Foraging Behavior

Microorganisms frequently colonize the nectar of angiosperm species. Though capable of altering a suite of traits important for pollinator attraction, few studies exist that test the degree to which they mediate pollinator foraging behavior. The objective of our study was to fill this gap by assessing the abundance and diversity of yeasts associated with the perennial larkspur Delphinium barbeyi (Ranunculaceae) and testing whether their presence affected components of pollinator foraging behavior. Yeasts frequently colonized D. barbeyi nectar, populating 54–77% of flowers examined depending on site. Though common, the yeast community was species-poor, represented by a single species, Metschnikowia reukaufii. Female-phase flowers of D. barbeyi were more likely to have higher densities of yeasts in comparison to male-phase flowers. Pollinators were likely vectors of yeasts, as virgin (unvisited) flowers rarely contained yeasts compared to flowers open to pollinator visitation, which were frequently colonized. Finally, pollinators responded positively to the presence of yeasts. Bombus foragers both visited and probed more flowers inoculated with yeasts in comparison to uninoculated controls. Taken together, our results suggest that variation in the occurrence and density of nectar-inhabiting yeasts have the potential to alter components of pollinator foraging behavior linked to pollen transfer and plant fitness

The relationships between bone mineral density in the spine, hip, distal femur and proximal tibia and medial minimum joint space width in the knees of healthy females

SummaryObjectiveTo investigate the relationships between bone mineral density (BMD) in the hip, spine, distal femur and proximal tibia and minimum joint space width (mJSW) in the knees of healthy women.MethodsWomen 22–68 years old without a history of knee pain, bone or joint disease or injury underwent a single, fixed-flexion knee X-ray. Radiographs were graded according to the Kellgren–Lawrence scale and analyzed for mJSW using a computer algorithm. Dual X-ray absorptiometry scans of the spine, hip, distal femur and proximal tibia were also acquired for each participant. Femur and tibia scans were acquired and analyzed using a modified version of the lumbar spine software.ResultsForty-five females, mean [standard deviation (SD)] age and body mass index (BMI) of 40.1 (13.9) years and 24.6 (4.5)kg/m2, respectively, participated. The mean (SD) mJSW was 4.64 (0.68)mm. Linear regression analyses controlling for age and BMI revealed that BMD in the femoral trochanter and the central two regions of the tibia (T2 and T3) was significantly related to mJSW in the knee. A backwards regression analysis performed to determine which region of interest is most significantly related to mJSW revealed that femoral trochanter BMD (β-value=0.416) is the most significant.ConclusionsIn contrast to the suggestion that BMD is negatively correlated with mJSW in the knees of osteoarthritic individuals, these results suggest that increasing BMD in the femoral trochanter and tibia is significantly associated with increasing mJSW in healthy females. Further investigation of this relationship is warranted

Human Capital Policies: What They Can and Cannot Do for Productivity and Poverty Reduction in Latin America

Raising labor productivity is recognized as a critical factor for increasing economic growth and reducing poverty levels in Latin America. Low levels of education continue to be singled out as the main obstacle to higher productivity in the region. We examine the scope for education to lift labor incomes above poverty levels in Latin America and find that in many countries education, by itself, has a positive, but limited, potential to increase wages above a minimum level. In general, the prospects are dim because progress in raising average schooling levels has been slow even under the best historical scenarios. We also examine whether the apparent failure of education can be explained by low wage returns to schooling, and poor underlying conditions. We find that investments in education continue to have important payoffs but poor underlying conditions explain the modest prospect for the role of education in the short run. This leads us to consider what additional policies should be pursued in order to ensure higher productivity for workers in the region

Polarization in Hadronic \Lambda Hyperon Production and Chiral-Odd Twist-3 Distribution

Polarization of the \Lambda hyperon produced with a large transverse momentum in the unpolarized nucleon-nucleon collision is analyzed in the framework of QCD factorization. We focus on the mechanism in which the soft-gluon component of the chiral-odd spin-independent twist-3 quark distribution E_F(x,x) becomes a source of the polarized quark fragmenting into the polarized \Lambda. Our simple model estimate for this contribution indicates that it gives rise to a significant \Lambda polarization at large x_F. This is in parallel with the observation that the soft gluon pole mechanism gives rise to a large single transverse spin asymmetry in the pion production at x_F\to 1.Comment: 10 pages in LaTex + 5 figures in PS files. Phys. Rev. D in press. Title changed and some discussions adde

Hyperon Polarization in the Constituent Quark Model

We consider mechanism for hyperon polarization in inclusive production. The main role belongs to the orbital angular momentum and polarization of the strange quark-antiquark pairs in the internal structure of the constituent quarks. We consider a nucleon as a core consisting of the constituent quarks embedded into quark condensate. The nonperturbative hadron structure is based on the results of chiral quark models.Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX, 2 Figures, References adde

Preliminary results from E756 on the Ξ− and Ω− magnetic moments

We have used the spin precession technique to measure the Ξ− and Ω− magnetic moments. The preliminary results are μ(Ξ−)=−0.64±0.02 nuclear magnetons and μ(Ω−)=−2.0±0.2 nuclear magnetons where the error for both measurements is statistical. The polarization of Ξ−’s produced at 2.5 mr by 800 GeV protons on a Be target was 11% while the polarization of Ω−’s was consistent with zero. Polarized Ξ−’s and Ω−’s were produced using spin transfer from a polarized neutral hyperon beam. The Ω− polarization at 325 GeV/c was 6.5%.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87375/2/374_1.pd