NLO corrections in MC event generator for angular distribution of Drell-Yan lepton pair production

Using a subtraction method, we derive the formulae suitable for use in Monte-Carlo event generators to give the angular distribution for the gluon-quark induced NLO corrections in Drell-Yan lepton pair production. We also give the corresponding helicity density matrix for W and Z boson production.Comment: 14 pages, 2 figure

QCD factorization for forward hadron scattering at high energies

We consider the QCD factorization of DIS structure functions at small x and amplitudes of 2->2 -hadronic forward scattering at high energy. We show that both collinear and k_T-factorization for these processes can be obtained approximately as reductions of a more general (totally unintegrated) form of the factorization. The requirement of ultraviolet and infrared stability of the factorization convolutions allows us to obtain restrictions on the fits for the parton distributions in k_T- and collinear factorization.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures In the present version misprints found in the prevcious version are corrected and some more details are explaine

Single spin asymmetries in QCD

Measurements of single transverse spin asymmetries in high energy inclusive processes have always shown unexpected and challenging results. Several cases are considered and discussed within a QCD approach which couples perturbative dynamics to new non perturbative partonic information; the aim is that of developing a consistent phenomenological description of these unusual single spin phenomena, based on a generalized QCD factorization scheme.Comment: 14 pages, lectures delivered at School on "Symmetries and Spin", Praha-SPIN-2001, Prague, July 15 - July 28, 200

An attempt to understand exclusive pi+ electroproduction

Hard exclusive pi+ electroproduction is investigated within the handbag approach. The prominent role of the pion-pole contribution is demonstrated. It is also shown that the experimental data require a twist-3 effect which ensues from the helicity-flip generalized parton distribution H_T and the twist-3 pion wave function. The results calculated from this handbag approach are compared in detail with the experimental data on cross sections and spin asymmetries measured with a polarized target. It is also commented on consequences of this approach for exclusive \pi^0 and vector-meson electroproduction.Comment: 35 pages, 12 figures, using Latex, a number of additional comments have been included in the text, e.g. in paragraph above (3) or at end of sect.

Deeply virtual electroproduction of photons and mesons on the nucleon : leading order amplitudes and power corrections

We estimate the leading order amplitudes for exclusive photon and meson electroproduction reactions at large Q^2 in the valence region in terms of skewed quark distributions. As experimental investigations can currently only be envisaged at moderate values of Q^2, we estimate power corrections due to the intrinsic transverse momentum of the partons in the meson wavefunction and in the nucleon. To this aim the skewed parton distribution formalism is generalized so as to include the parton intrinsic transverse momentum dependence. Furthermore, for the meson electroproduction reactions, we calculate the soft overlap type contributions and compare with the leading order amplitudes. We give first estimates for these different power corrections in kinematics which are relevant for experiments in the near future.Comment: 59 pages, 21 figure

Pion production in deeply virtual Compton scattering

Using a soft pion theorem based on chiral symmetry and a $\Delta(1232)$ resonance model we propose an estimate for the production cross section of low energy pions in the deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) process. In particular, we express the $e p \to e \gamma \pi N$ processes in terms of generalized parton distributions. We provide estimates of the contamination of the $e p \to e \gamma p$ DVCS observables due to this associated pion production processes when the experimental data are not fully exclusive, for a set of kinematical conditions representative of present or planned experiments at JLab, HERMES and COMPASS.Comment: 50 pages, 22 figure

Single Spin Asymmetry ANA_N in Polarized Proton-Proton Elastic Scattering at s=200\sqrt{s}=200 GeV

We report a high precision measurement of the transverse single spin asymmetry $A_N$ at the center of mass energy $\sqrt{s}=200$ GeV in elastic proton-proton scattering by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The $A_N$ was measured in the four-momentum transfer squared $t$ range $0.003 \leqslant |t| \leqslant 0.035$ \GeVcSq, the region of a significant interference between the electromagnetic and hadronic scattering amplitudes. The measured values of $A_N$ and its $t$-dependence are consistent with a vanishing hadronic spin-flip amplitude, thus providing strong constraints on the ratio of the single spin-flip to the non-flip amplitudes. Since the hadronic amplitude is dominated by the Pomeron amplitude at this $\sqrt{s}$, we conclude that this measurement addresses the question about the presence of a hadronic spin flip due to the Pomeron exchange in polarized proton-proton elastic scattering.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figure

Cloaked websites: propaganda, cyber-racism and epistemology in the digital era

This article analyzes cloaked websites, which are sites published by individuals or groups who conceal authorship in order to disguise deliberately a hidden political agenda. Drawing on the insights of critical theory and the Frankfurt School, this article examines the way in which cloaked websites conceal a variety of political agendas from a range of perspectives. Of particular interest here are cloaked white supremacist sites that disguise cyber-racism. The use of cloaked websites to further political ends raises important questions about knowledge production and epistemology in the digital era. These cloaked sites emerge within a social and political context in which it is increasingly difficult to parse fact from propaganda, and this is a particularly pernicious feature when it comes to the cyber-racism of cloaked white supremacist sites. The article concludes by calling for the importance of critical, situated political thinking in the evaluation of cloaked websites

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19

Critical COVID-19 is caused by immune-mediated inflammatory lung injury. Host genetic variation influences the development of illness requiring critical care1 or hospitalization2,3,4 after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care) study enables the comparison of genomes from individuals who are critically ill with those of population controls to find underlying disease mechanisms. Here we use whole-genome sequencing in 7,491 critically ill individuals compared with 48,400 controls to discover and replicate 23 independent variants that significantly predispose to critical COVID-19. We identify 16 new independent associations, including variants within genes that are involved in interferon signalling (IL10RB and PLSCR1), leucocyte differentiation (BCL11A) and blood-type antigen secretor status (FUT2). Using transcriptome-wide association and colocalization to infer the effect of gene expression on disease severity, we find evidence that implicates multiple genes—including reduced expression of a membrane flippase (ATP11A), and increased expression of a mucin (MUC1)—in critical disease. Mendelian randomization provides evidence in support of causal roles for myeloid cell adhesion molecules (SELE, ICAM5 and CD209) and the coagulation factor F8, all of which are potentially druggable targets. Our results are broadly consistent with a multi-component model of COVID-19 pathophysiology, in which at least two distinct mechanisms can predispose to life-threatening disease: failure to control viral replication; or an enhanced tendency towards pulmonary inflammation and intravascular coagulation. We show that comparison between cases of critical illness and population controls is highly efficient for the detection of therapeutically relevant mechanisms of disease