Combined analysis of diffractive and inclusive structure functions in the semiclassical framework

Small-x DIS is described as the scattering of a partonic fluctuation of the photon off a superposition of target color fields. Diffraction occurs if the emerging partonic state is in a color singlet. Introducing a specific model for the averaging over all relevant color field configurations, both diffractive and inclusive parton distributions at some low scale Q_0^2 can be calculated. A conventional DGLAP analysis results in a good description of diffractive and inclusive structure functions at higher values of Q^2.Comment: 3 pages LaTeX, 3 figures, talk presented at the 7th International Workshop on Deep Inelastic Scattering and QCD (DIS99), Zeuthen, Germany, April 19-23, 199

Color transparency in deeply inelastic diffraction

We suggest a simple physical picture for the diffractive parton distributions that appear in diffractive deeply inelastic scattering. In this picture, partons impinging on the proton can have any transverse separation, but only when the separation is small can they penetrate the proton without breaking it up. By comparing the predictions from this picture with the diffractive data from HERA, we determine rough values for the small separations that dominate the diffraction process.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures; v2: citations added, two comments revised and expanded, results unchange

NLO prescription for unintegrated parton distributions

We show how parton distributions unintegrated over the parton transverse momentum, k_t, may be generated, at NLO accuracy, from the known integrated (DGLAP-evolved) parton densities determined from global data analyses. A few numerical examples are given, which demonstrate that sufficient accuracy is obtained by keeping only the LO splitting functions together with the NLO integrated parton densities. However, it is important to keep the precise kinematics of the process, by taking the scale to be the virtuality rather than the transverse momentum, in order to be consistent with the calculation of the NLO splitting functions.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures. v2: version to appear in Eur. Phys. J.

Louse-borne relapsing fever (Borrelia recurrentis) diagnosed in 15 refugees from northeast Africa: epidemiology and preventive control measures, Bavaria, Germany, July to October 2015

We report 15 imported louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF) cases in refugees in Bavaria, Germany. One patient died. Epidemiological findings confirmed that all were young males from the Horn of Africa (12 from Somalia), who had similar migration routes converging in Sudan continuing through Libya and Italy. The majority likely acquired their infection during migration. Healthcare workers should be aware of LBRF in refugees passing through north Africa to ensure correct treatment and preventive measures.</jats:p

Targeted natural killer cell–based adoptive immunotherapy for the treatment of patients with NSCLC after radiochemotherapy: a randomized phase II clinical trial

Purpose: Non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a fatal disease with poor prognosis. A membrane-bound form of Hsp70 (mHsp70) which is selectively expressed on high-risk tumors serves as a target for mHsp70-targeting natural killer (NK) cells. Patients with advanced mHsp70-positive NSCLC may therefore benefit from a therapeutic intervention involving mHsp70-targeting NK cells. The randomized phase II clinical trial (EudraCT2008-002130-30) explores tolerability and efficacy of ex vivo–activated NK cells in patients with NSCLC after radiochemotherapy (RCT). Patients and Methods: Patients with unresectable, mHsp70-positive NSCLC (stage IIIa/b) received 4 cycles of autologous NK cells activated ex vivo with TKD/IL2 [interventional arm (INT)] after RCT (60–70 Gy, platinum-based chemotherapy) or RCT alone [control arm (CTRL)]. The primary objective was progression-free survival (PFS), and secondary objectives were the assessment of quality of life (QoL, QLQ-LC13), toxicity, and immunobiological responses. Results: The NK-cell therapy after RCT was well tolerated, and no differences in QoL parameters between the two study arms were detected. Estimated 1-year probabilities for PFS were 67% [95% confidence interval (CI), 19%–90%] for the INT arm and 33% (95% CI, 5%–68%) for the CTRL arm (P = 0.36, 1-sided log-rank test). Clinical responses in the INT group were associated with an increase in the prevalence of activated NK cells in their peripheral blood

Nuclear shadowing in deep inelastic scattering on nuclei: leading twist versus eikonal approaches

We use several diverse parameterizations of diffractive parton distributions, extracted in leading twist QCD analyses of the HERA diffractive deep inelastic scattering (DIS) data, to make predictions for leading twist nuclear shadowing of nuclear quark and gluon distributions in DIS on nuclei. We find that the HERA diffractive data are sufficiently precise to allow us to predict large nuclear shadowing for gluons and quarks, unambiguously. We performed detailed studies of nuclear shadowing for up and charm sea quarks and gluons within several scenarios of shadowing and diffractive slopes, as well as at central impact parameters. We compare these leading twist results with those obtained from the eikonal approach to nuclear shadowing (which is based on a very different space-time picture) and observe sharply contrasting predictions for the size and Q^2-dependence of nuclear shadowing. The most striking differences arise for the interaction of small dipoles with nuclei, in particular for the longitudinal structure function F_{L}^{A}.Comment: 43 pages, 16 figures, requires JHEP style fil

Diffractive deeply inelastic scattering of hadronic states with small transverse size

Diffractive deeply inelastic scattering from a hadron is described in terms of diffractive quark and gluon distributions. If the transverse size of the hadronic state is sufficiently small, these distributions are calculable using perturbation theory. We present such a calculation and discuss the underlying dynamics. We comment on the relation between this dynamics and the pattern of scaling violation observed in the hard diffraction of large-size states at HERA.Comment: 8 pages including 3 figures, REVTE

Influence of Pharyngeal Anaesthesia on Post-Bronchoscopic Coughing: A Prospective, Single Blinded, Multicentre Trial

Background: Local anaesthesia of the pharynx (LAP) was introduced in the era of rigid bronchoscopy (which was initially a conscious procedure under local anaesthetic), and continued into the era of flexible bronchoscopy (FB) in order to facilitate introduction of the FB. LAP reduces cough and gagging reflex, but its post-procedural effect is unclear. This prospective multicentre trial evaluated the effect of LAP on coughing intensity/time and patient comfort after FB, and the feasibility of FB under propofol sedation alone, without LAP. Material and methods: FB was performed in 74 consecutive patients under sedation with propofol, either alone (35 patients, 47.3%) or with additional LAP (39 patients, 52.7%). A primary endpoint of post-procedural coughing duration in the first 10 min after awakening was evaluated. A secondary endpoint was the cough frequency, quality and development of coughing in the same period during the 10 min post-procedure. Finally, the ease of undertaking the FB and the patient’s tolerance and safety were evaluated from the point of view of the investigator, the assistant technician and the patient. Results: We observed a trend to a shorter cumulative coughing time of 48.6 s in the group without LAP compared to 82.8 s in the group receiving LAP within the first 10 min after the procedure, although this difference was not significant (p = 0.24). There was no significant difference in the cough frequency, quality, peri-procedural complication rate, nor patient tolerance or safety. FB, including any additional procedure, could be performed equally well with or without LAP in both groups. Conclusions: Our study suggests that undertaking FB under deep sedation without LAP does to affect post-procedural cough duration and frequency. However, further prospective randomised controlled trials are needed to further support this finding

Loss of AQP3 protein expression is associated with worse progression-free and cancer-specific survival in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer

Purpose Urothelial carcinoma has recently been shown to express several aquaporins (AQP), with AQP3 being of particular interest as its expression is reduced or lost in tumours of higher grade and stage. Loss of AQP3 expression was associated with worse progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with pT1 bladder cancer. The objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of AQP3 expression in patients with muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma (MIBC). Methods Retrospective single-centre analysis of the oncological outcome of patients following radical cystectomy (Cx) due to MIBC. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess AQP3 protein expression in 100 Cx specimens. Expression levels of AQP3 were related to clinicopathological variables. The impact of biomarker expression on progression-free, cancer-specific and overall survival was determined by multivariate Cox regression analysis (MVA). Results High expression of AQP3 by the tumour was associated with a statistically significantly improved PFS (75 vs. 19 %, p = 0.043) and CSS (75 vs. 18 %, p = 0.030) and, alongside lymph node involvement, was an independent predictor of PFS (HR 2.871, CI 1.066–7.733, p = 0.037), CSS (HR 3.325, CI 1.204–8.774, p = 0.019) and OS (HR 2.001, CI 1.014–3.947) in MVA. Conclusions Although the results of the study would be strengthened by a larger, more appropriately powered, prospective, multi-institutional study, our findings strongly suggest that AQP3 expression status may represent an independent predictor of PFS and CSS in MIBC and may help select patients in need for (neo-)adjuvant chemotherapy

Inclusive and Diffractive Structure Functions at Small x

In the semiclassical approach, inclusive and diffractive quark and gluon distributions are expressed in terms of correlation functions of Wilson loops. Each Wilson loop integrates the colour field strength in the area between the trajectories of two fast partons penetrating the proton. We introduce a specific model for averaging over the relevant colour field configurations. Within this model, all parton distributions at some low scale Q_0^2 are given in terms of three parameters. Inclusive and diffractive structure functions at higher values of Q^2 are determined in a leading-order QCD analysis. In both cases, the evolution is driven by a large gluon distribution. A satisfactory description of the structure functions F_2(x,Q^2) and F_2^D(3)(xi,beta,Q^2) is obtained. The observed rise of F_2^D(3) with xi is parametrized by a non-perturbative logarithmic energy dependence, compatible with unitarity. In our analysis, the observed rise of F_2 at small x is largely due to the same effect.Comment: 26 pages LaTeX, 8 figures included, uses psfi