Effect of bound nucleon internal structure change on nuclear structure functions

Effect of bound nucleon internal structure change on nuclear structure functions is investigated based on local quark-hadron duality. The bound nucleon structure functions calculated for charged-lepton and (anti)neutrino scattering are all enhanced in symmetric nuclear matter at large Bjorken-$x$ (x \agt 0.85) relative to those in a free nucleon. This implies that a part of the enhancement observed in the nuclear structure function $F_2$ (in the resonance region) at large Bjorken-$x$ (the EMC effect) is due to the effect of the bound nucleon internal structure change. However, the $x$ dependence for the charged-lepton and (anti)neutrino scattering is different. The former [latter] is enhanced [quenched] in the region 0.8 \alt x \alt 0.9 [0.7 \alt x \alt 0.85] due to the difference of the contribution from axial vector form factor. Because of these differences charge symmetry breaking in parton distributions will be enhanced in nuclei.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, to be published in PLB. Effect of Fermimotion is included. Accordingly, 4 figures as well as the text were modifie

A cluster-randomized trial determining the efficacy of caterpillar cereal as a locally available and sustainable complementary food to prevent stunting and anaemia

Abstract Objective We conducted a cluster-randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of a cereal made from caterpillars, a micronutrient-rich, locally available alternative animal-source food, on reducing stunting and anaemia in infants in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Design Six-month-old infants were cluster randomized to receive either caterpillar cereal daily until 18 months of age or the usual diet. At 18 months of age, anthropometric measurements and biological samples were collected. Setting The rural Equateur Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Subjects One hundred and seventy-five infants followed from 6 to 18 months of age. Results Stunting was common at 6 months (35 %) and the prevalence increased until 18 months (69 %). There was no difference in stunting prevalence at 18 months between the intervention and control groups (67 % v . 71 %, P =0·69). Infants in the cereal group had higher Hb concentration than infants in the control group (10·7 v . 10·1 g/dl, P =0·03) and fewer were anaemic (26 v . 50 %, P =0·006), although there was no difference in estimates of body Fe stores (6·7 v . 7·2 mg/kg body weight, P =0·44). Conclusions Supplementation of complementary foods with caterpillar cereal did not reduce the prevalence of stunting at 18 months of age. However, infants who consumed caterpillar cereal had higher Hb concentration and fewer were anaemic, suggesting that caterpillar cereal might have some beneficial effect. The high prevalence of stunting at 6 months and the lack of response to this micronutrient-rich supplement suggest that factors other than dietary deficiencies also contribute to stunting

Older people presenting to the emergency department after a fall: a population with substantial recurrent healthcare use

ABSTRACT Objectives To document patient characteristics, care pathways, healthcare use and costs of fall-related emergency department (ED) presentations by older adults. Participants and methods All fallers aged $70 years, presenting to the ED of a 450-bed metropolitan university hospital in Sydney, Australia (1 April 2007 through 31 March 2009) were studied. Data were collected from the ED electronic information system, ED clinical records and the hospital electronic information system database. Population estimates for 2008 for the local areas served by the hospital were used to estimate ED presentation rates. Results Of 18 902 all-cause ED presentations, 3220 (17.0%) were due to a fall. Among fallers, 35.4% had one or more ED presentations and 20.3% had had one or more hospital admissions in the preceding 12 months. Fall-related ED presentation led directly to hospital admission in 42.7% of the cases, the majority of which (78.0%) received acute care only (length of stayd14.4 days for men and 13.7 days for women) and the remaining cases underwent further inpatient rehabilitation (length of stay 35.6 days for men and 3

Electroexcitation of nucleon resonances

We review recent progress in the investigation of the electroexcitation of nucleon resonances, both in experiment and in theory. The most accurate results have been obtained for the electroexcitation amplitudes of the four lowest excited states, which have been measured in a range of Q2 up to 8 and 4.5 GeV2 for the Delta(1232)P33, N(1535)S11 and N(1440)P11, N(1520)D13}, respectively. These results have been confronted with calculations based on lattice QCD, large-Nc relations, perturbative QCD (pQCD), and QCD-inspired models. The amplitudes for the Delta(1232) indicate large pion-cloud contributions at low Q2 and don't show any sign of approaching the pQCD regime for Q2<7 GeV2. Measured for the first time, the electroexcitation amplitudes of the Roper resonance, N(1440)P11, provide strong evidence for this state as a predominantly radial excitation of a three-quark (3q) ground state, with additional non-3-quark contributions needed to describe the low Q2 behavior of the amplitudes. The longitudinal transition amplitude for the N(1535)S11 was determined and has become a challenge for quark models. Explanations may require large meson-cloud contributions or alternative representations of this state. The N(1520)D13 clearly shows the rapid changeover from helicity-3/2 dominance at the real photon point to helicity-1/2 dominance at Q2 > 0.5 GeV2, confirming a long-standing prediction of the constituent quark model. The interpretation of the moments of resonance transition form factors in terms of transition transverse charge distributions in infinite momentum frame is presented.Comment: 70 pages, 46 figures, will appear in Progress in Particle and Nuclear Physics, v.67, p.1, 201

Precision Measurement of the Neutron Spin Asymmetries and Spin-dependent Structure Functions in the Valence Quark Region

We report on measurements of the neutron spin asymmetries $A_{1,2}^n$ and polarized structure functions $g_{1,2}^n$ at three kinematics in the deep inelastic region, with $x=0.33$, 0.47 and 0.60 and $Q^2=2.7$, 3.5 and 4.8 (GeV/c)$^2$, respectively. These measurements were performed using a 5.7 GeV longitudinally-polarized electron beam and a polarized $^3$He target. The results for $A_1^n$ and $g_1^n$ at $x=0.33$ are consistent with previous world data and, at the two higher $x$ points, have improved the precision of the world data by about an order of magnitude. The new $A_1^n$ data show a zero crossing around $x=0.47$ and the value at $x=0.60$ is significantly positive. These results agree with a next-to-leading order QCD analysis of previous world data. The trend of data at high $x$ agrees with constituent quark model predictions but disagrees with that from leading-order perturbative QCD (pQCD) assuming hadron helicity conservation. Results for $A_2^n$ and $g_2^n$ have a precision comparable to the best world data in this kinematic region. Combined with previous world data, the moment $d_2^n$ was evaluated and the new result has improved the precision of this quantity by about a factor of two. When combined with the world proton data, polarized quark distribution functions were extracted from the new $g_1^n/F_1^n$ values based on the quark parton model. While results for $\Delta u/u$ agree well with predictions from various models, results for $\Delta d/d$ disagree with the leading-order pQCD prediction when hadron helicity conservation is imposed.Comment: A typing error in A_\parallel(3He) at x=0.47 in Table VII of Phys. Rev. C has been noticed and correcte

Approaches to lowering the cost of large space telescopes

New development approaches, including launch vehicles and advances in sensors, computing, and software, have lowered the cost of entry into space, and have enabled a revolution in low-cost, high-risk Small Satellite (SmallSat) missions. To bring about a similar transformation in larger space telescopes, it is necessary to reconsider the full paradigm of space observatories. Here we will review the history of space telescope development and cost drivers, and describe an example conceptual design for a low cost 6.5 m optical telescope to enable new science when operated in space at room temperature. It uses a monolithic primary mirror of borosilicate glass, drawing on lessons and tools from decades of experience with ground-based observatories and instruments, as well as flagship space missions. It takes advantage, as do large launch vehicles, of increased computing power and space-worthy commercial electronics in low-cost active predictive control systems to maintain stability. We will describe an approach that incorporates science and trade study results that address driving requirements such as integration and testing costs, reliability, spacecraft jitter, and wavefront stability in this new risk-tolerant "LargeSat" context.Comment: Presented at SPIE, Optics+Photonics 2023, Astronomical Optics: Design, Manufacture, and Test of Space and Ground Systems IV in San Diego, CA, US

Ml proteins from Mesorhizobium loti and MucR from Brucella abortus: an AT-rich core DNA-target site and oligomerization ability

Mesorhizobium loti contains ten genes coding for proteins sharing high amino acid sequence identity with members of the Ros/MucR transcription factor family. Five of these Ros/MucR family members from Mesorhizobium loti (Ml proteins) have been recently structurally and functionally characterized demonstrating that Ml proteins are DNA-binding proteins. However, the DNA-binding studies were performed using the Ros DNA-binding site with the Ml proteins. Currently, there is no evidence as to when the Ml proteins are expressed during the Mesorhizobium loti life cycle as well as no information concerning their natural DNA-binding site. In this study, we examine the ml genes expression profile in Mesorhizobium loti and show that ml1, ml2, ml3 and ml5 are expressed during planktonic growth and in biofilms. DNA-binding experiments show that the Ml proteins studied bind a conserved AT-rich site in the promoter region of the exoY gene from Mesorhizobium loti and that the proteins make important contacts with the minor groove of DNA. Moreover, we demonstrate that the Ml proteins studied form higher-order oligomers through their N-terminal region and that the same AT-rich site is recognized by MucR from Brucella abortus using a similar mechanism involving contacts with the minor groove of DNA and oligomerization

Patient-reported outcomes in adults with type 1 diabetes in global real-world clinical practice: The SAGE study

AimsTo conduct a secondary analysis of the SAGE study to evaluate the association between glycaemic control and patient-reported outcomes (PROs), in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) across different age groups and regions.Materials and methodsSAGE was a multinational, cross-sectional, observational study in adults with T1DM. Data were collected at a single visit, analysed according to predefined age groups (26-44, 45-64, and ≥65 years), and reported across different regions. PRO questionnaires were applied to assess hypoglycaemia fear (Hypoglycemia Fear Survey-II), diabetes-related distress (Problem Areas In Diabetes questionnaire), insulin treatment satisfaction (Insulin Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire), and diabetes-specific quality of life (QoL; Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life). Multivariable analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) target achievement (less than 7% and individualised targets) with PRO scores.ResultsThe PRO scores showed relatively low levels of diabetes-related emotional distress and fear of hypoglycaemia, moderate to high treatment satisfaction, and low diabetes-related impact on QoL. Results were generally comparable across age groups with some regional variability. Achievement of the HbA1c less than 7% target was associated with less worry about hypoglycaemia, lower diabetes-related emotional distress, higher insulin treatment satisfaction, and higher QoL. Achievement of individualised HbA1c targets was associated with lower diabetes-related emotional distress and higher insulin treatment satisfaction.ConclusionsBetter glycaemic control was most closely associated with low emotional distress due to diabetes and high patient-reported insulin treatment satisfaction

Position specific differences in the anthropometric characteristics of elite European Super League rugby players

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in European Journal of Sport Science on 20 January 2015 available online: http://wwww.tandfonline.com/10.1080/17461391.2014.99780