QCD Factorized Drell-Yan Cross Section at Large Transverse Momentum

We derive a new factorization formula in perturbative quantum chromodynamics for the Drell-Yan massive lepton-pair cross section as a function of the transverse momentum $Q_T$ of the pair. When $Q_T$ is much larger than the pair's invariant mass $Q$, this factorization formula systematically resums the logarithmic contributions of the type $\alpha_s^m \ln^m(Q_T^2/Q^2)$ to all orders in the strong coupling $\alpha_s$. When $Q_T\sim Q$, our formula yields the same Drell-Yan cross section as conventional fixed order QCD perturbation theory. We show that resummation is important when the collision energy $\sqrt{S}$ is large enough and $Q_T\gg Q$, and we argue that perturbative expansions are more stable and reliable in terms of the modified factorization formula.Comment: 36 pages, latex, including 16 figure

Higgs Boson Decay into Hadronic Jets

The remarkable agreement of electroweak data with standard model (SM) predictions motivates the study of extensions of the SM in which the Higgs boson is light and couples in a standard way to the weak gauge bosons. Postulated new light particles should have small couplings to the gauge bosons. Within this context it is natural to assume that the branching fractions of the light SM-like Higgs boson mimic those in the standard model. This assumption may be unwarranted, however, if there are non-standard light particles coupled weakly to the gauge bosons but strongly to the Higgs field. In particular, the Higgs boson may effectively decay into hadronic jets, possibly without important bottom or charm flavor content. As an example, we present a simple extension of the SM, in which the predominant decay of the Higgs boson occurs into a pair of light bottom squarks that, in turn, manifest themselves as hadronic jets. Discovery of the Higgs boson remains possible at an electron-positron linear collider, but prospects at hadron colliders are diminished substantially.Comment: 30 pages, 7 figure

Differential Cross Section for Higgs Boson Production Including All-Orders Soft Gluon Resummation

The transverse momentum $Q_T$ distribution is computed for inclusive Higgs boson production at the energy of the CERN Large Hadron Collider. We focus on the dominant gluon-gluon subprocess in perturbative quantum chromodynamics and incorporate contributions from the quark-gluon and quark-antiquark channels. Using an impact-parameter $b$-space formalism, we include all-orders resummation of large logarithms associated with emission of soft gluons. Our resummed results merge smoothly at large $Q_T$ with the fixed-order expectations in perturbative quantum chromodynamics, as they should, with no need for a matching procedure. They show a high degree of stability with respect to variation of parameters associated with the non-perturbative input at low $Q_T$. We provide distributions $d\sigma/dy dQ_T$ for Higgs boson masses from $M_Z$ to 200 GeV. The average transverse momentum at zero rapidity $y$ grows approximately linearly with mass of the Higgs boson over the range $M_Z < m_h \simeq 0.18 m_h + 18$~GeV. We provide analogous results for $Z$ boson production, for which we compute $\simeq 25$ GeV. The harder transverse momentum distribution for the Higgs boson arises because there is more soft gluon radiation in Higgs boson production than in $Z$ production.Comment: 42 pages, latex, 26 figures. All figures replaced. Some changes in wording. Published in Phys. Rev. D67, 034026 (2003

The Generation R Study: design and cohort update 2017

The Generation R Study is a population-based prospective cohort study from fetal life until adulthood. The study is designed to identify early environmental and genetic causes and causal pathways leading to normal and abnormal growth, development and health from fetal life, childhood and young adulthood. This multidisciplinary study focuses on several health outcomes including behaviour and cognition, body composition, eye development, growth, hearing, heart and vascular development, infectious disease and immunity, oral health and facial growth, respiratory health, allergy and skin disorders of children and their parents. Main exposures of interest include environmental, endocrine, genomic (genetic, epigenetic, microbiome), lifestyle related, nutritional and socio-demographic determinants. In total, 9778 mothers with a delivery date from April 2002 until January 2006 were enrolled in the study. Response at baseline was 61%, and general follow-up rates until the age of 10 years were around 80%. Data collection in children and their parents includes questionnaires, interviews, detailed physical and ultrasound examinations, behavioural observations, lung function, Magnetic Resonance Imaging and biological sampling. Genome and epigenome wide association screens are available. Eventually, results from the Generation R Study contribute to the deve

Type 2 Diabetes Variants Disrupt Function of SLC16A11 through Two Distinct Mechanisms

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) affects Latinos at twice the rate seen in populations of European descent. We recently identified a risk haplotype spanning SLC16A11 that explains ∼20% of the increased T2D prevalence in Mexico. Here, through genetic fine-mapping, we define a set of tightly linked variants likely to contain the causal allele(s). We show that variants on the T2D-associated haplotype have two distinct effects: (1) decreasing SLC16A11 expression in liver and (2) disrupting a key interaction with basigin, thereby reducing cell-surface localization. Both independent mechanisms reduce SLC16A11 function and suggest SLC16A11 is the causal gene at this locus. To gain insight into how SLC16A11 disruption impacts T2D risk, we demonstrate that SLC16A11 is a proton-coupled monocarboxylate transporter and that genetic perturbation of SLC16A11 induces changes in fatty acid and lipid metabolism that are associated with increased T2D risk. Our findings suggest that increasing SLC16A11 function could be therapeutically beneficial for T2D. Video Abstract [Figure presented] Keywords: type 2 diabetes (T2D); genetics; disease mechanism; SLC16A11; MCT11; solute carrier (SLC); monocarboxylates; fatty acid metabolism; lipid metabolism; precision medicin

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

Computational studies of (mixed)sulfides hydrotreating catalysts

International audienc

Relations entre les conditions de production du lait et les teneurs en composés d'intérêt nutritionnel dans le fromage : étude en conditions réelles de production

National audienceThe relationships between the conditions of milk production and the contents of components of nutritional interest in cow's or goat's milk farmhouse cheeses have been studied under real conditions of production in four cheese chains (Abondance, Tomme de Savoie, Salers/Cantal and Rocamadour). In total, 432 cheeses, including 306 cow's milk ones and 126 goat's milk ones, produced throughout the year by 74 farmhouse producers, were analysed. First, the respective effects of the conditions of milk production and the cheese-making process on the compositional variability in cheese were quantified. Subsequently, the relationships between the cheese composition and the conditions of milk production, beforehand identified by means of surveys, were studied. Farmhouse cheese was characterized by a great compositional variability which mainly depended on the cheese-making process for vitamin B9 and minerals and on the conditions of milk production for fatty acids (FA), vitamins A and E and carotenoids. The animal species explained a great part of the variability in some FA and b-carotene contents in cheese. The contents of fat-soluble micronutrients and the antioxidant capacity in cheese mainly depended on the nature of the fodder ration (pasture vs. preserved forages) whatever the animal species. The pasture-based rations were associated with higher levels of carotenoids, vitamins A and E and antioxidant capacity in cheese. On the other hand, the influencing factors of the FA profile in cheese differed in this study between cows and goats. As regards cow's milk cheeses, it mainly depended on the nature of the fodder ration (pasture vs preserved forages). Cheeses associated with pasture were richer in long length saturated and unsaturated FA (³ C18) and poorer in short and medium length saturated FA (C6:0 à C16:0). The FA profile of goat's milk cheese mainly depended on the percentage of fat from the concentrates in the ration, the stage of lactation of animals and to a lesser extent the presence or not of linseed in the concentrates. This cheese was richer in long length FA and poorer in short and medium length saturated FA when the percentage of fat from the concentrates was higher, the concentrates contained linseed and the animals were in early lactation. In conclusion, this work allowed to collect representative and detailed data on the nutritional characteristics of various cheese varieties and to hierarchy the main production factors responsible for the compositional variability in cheese.Les relations entre les conditions de production du lait et les teneurs en composés d'intérêt nutritionnel de fromages fermiers au lait de vache ou de chèvre ont été étudiées en conditions réelles de production au sein de 4 filières fromagères (Abondance, Tomme de Savoie, Salers/Cantal et Rocamadour). Au total, 432 fromages, dont 306 au lait de vache et 126 au lait de chèvre, produits tout au long de l'année par 74 producteurs fermiers ont été analysés. Dans un premier temps, les effets respectifs des conditions de production du lait et de la transformation fromagère sur la variabilité de composition du fromage ont été quantifiés. Dans un second temps, les relations entre la composition du fromage et les conditions de production du lait, préalablement identifiées au moyen d'enquêtes, ont été étudiées. Le fromage fermier se caractérise par une grande variabilité de composition qui dépend majoritairement de la transformation fromagère pour la vitamine B9 et les minéraux et des conditions de production du lait pour les acides gras (AG), les vitamines A et E et les caroténoïdes. L'espèce animale explique une grande partie de la variabilité en certains AG et en b-carotène dans le fromage. Les teneurs en micronutriments liposolubles et le potentiel antioxydant du fromage dépendent principalement de la nature de la ration fourragère (pâturage vs fourrages conservés) quelle que soit l'espèce animale. Les rations à base de pâturage sont associées à des teneurs en caroténoïdes et en vitamines A et E et à un potentiel antioxydant dans le fromage plus importants. En revanche, les facteurs de variation du profil en AG du fromage ont différé dans cette étude entre les vaches et les chèvres. Pour les fromages au lait de vache, il dépend principalement de la nature de la ration fourragère (pâturage vs fourrages conservés). Les fromages associés au pâturage sont plus riches en AG saturés et insaturés à longue chaîne (³ C18) et plus pauvres en AG saturés à courte et moyenne chaîne (C6:0 à C16:0). Le profil en AG du fromage au lait de chèvre dépend principalement de la proportion de matières grasses apportées par les concentrés dans la ration, du stade de lactation des animaux et dans une moindre mesure de la présence ou non de lin dans les concentrés. Ce fromage est plus riche en AG à longue chaîne et plus pauvre en AG saturés à courte et moyenne chaîne lorsque la proportion de matières grasses apportées par les concentrés est plus importante, les concentrés contiennent du lin et les animaux sont en début de lactation. En conclusion, ce travail a permis de collecter des données représentatives et détaillées sur les caractéristiques nutritionnelles de différentes variétés fromagères et de hiérarchiser les effets des principaux facteurs de production responsables de la variabilité de composition du fromage

Des scénarios de futurs possibles pour des systèmes d’élevage pastoraux méditerranéens

Ce 49ème volume de la Revue Innovations Agronomiques regroupe l'ensemble de la restitution des projets Casdar, présentés le 3 novembre 2015.For the sustainability of pastoral Mediterranean livestock systems, various upgrade options are available, with different potential benefits at the farm level, but also in the territories where they are nested. Within a project gathering partners from research, extension and space managers, we elaborated and evaluated scenarios for pastoral farming systems, testing different possible futures. After analyzing the contexts of husbandry farms in four territories, we selected some farm-types. With local experts, we identified possible routes of change, to seize local opportunities or to cope with the threats. An example of specialized sheep farm, typical of the southern Causses, is here submitted on two "opposites" scenarios. Are also presented the conclusions of the general scenarios about “technical and economical optimization” and about “territory”. Returns in the four territories led to debates, with emergence of new scenarios and additional research and development issues. The overall approach of this work and its conditions of implementation are discussed.Pour conforter la durabilité des élevages pastoraux méditerranéens plusieurs voies d’avenir sont envisageables, présentant des intérêts différents à l’échelle des exploitations, mais également à l’échelle des territoires dans lesquels elles s’insèrent. Dans le cadre d’un projet associant partenaires de la recherche, du développement agricole et de la gestion des espaces naturels, nous avons construit et évalué des scénarios « prospectifs » pour un échantillon de systèmes d’élevage dans quatre territoires. Après une analyse des contextes « élevage » de ces territoires, des exploitations types ont été retenues et les partenaires du projet et les experts locaux ont élaboré des voies d’évolution possibles de ces exploitations. Pour les ovins viande, nous présentons ici dans le détail un « systèmetype » des Causses soumis à deux scénarios « contrastés » et les principales conclusions des axes de scénarios « territoire » et « optimisation technico-économique ». Les restitutions dans les différents territoires ont donné lieu à de nombreux débats et à des projets de nouveaux scénarios ou de recherches complémentaires, ou encore à des questions de développement. La démarche globale de ce travail et ses conditions de mise en oeuvre sont discutées