Universal Correlations in Pion-less EFT with the Resonating Group Model: Three and Four Nucleons

The Effective Field Theory "without pions" at next-to-leading order is used to analyze universal bound state and scattering properties of the 3- and 4-nucleon system. Results of a variety of phase shift equivalent nuclear potentials are presented for bound state properties of 3H and 4He, and for the singlet S-wave 3He-neutron scattering length a_0(3He-n). The calculations are performed with the Refined Resonating Group Method and include a full treatment of the Coulomb interaction and the leading-order 3-nucleon interaction. The results compare favorably with data and values from AV18(+UIX) model calculations. A new correlation between a_0(3He-n) and the 3H binding energy is found. Furthermore, we confirm at next-to-leading order the correlations, already found at leading-order, between the 3H binding energy and the 3H charge radius, and the Tjon line. With the 3H binding energy as input, we get predictions of the Effective Field Theory "without pions" at next-to-leading order for the root mean square charge radius of 3H of (1.6\pm 0.2) fm, for the 4He binding energy of (28\pm 2.5) MeV, and for Re(a_0(3He-n)) of (7.5\pm 0.6)fm. Including the Coulomb interaction, the splitting in binding energy between 3H and 3He is found to be (0.66\pm 0.03) MeV. The discrepancy to data of (0.10\mp 0.03) MeV is model independently attributed to higher order charge independence breaking interactions. We also demonstrate that different results for the same observable stem from higher order effects, and carefully assess that numerical uncertainties are negligible. Our results demonstrate the convergence and usefulness of the pion-less theory at next-to-leading order in the 4He channel. We conclude that no 4-nucleon interaction is needed to renormalize the theory at next-to-leading order in the 4-nucleon sector.Comment: 24 pages revtex4, including 8 figures as .eps files embedded with includegraphicx, leading-order results added, calculations include the LO three-nucleon interaction explicitly, comment on Wigner bound added, minor modification

Parity-violating neutron spin rotation in hydrogen and deuterium

We calculate the (parity-violating) spin rotation angle of a polarized neutron beam through hydrogen and deuterium targets, using pionless effective field theory up to next-to-leading order. Our result is part of a program to obtain the five leading independent low-energy parameters that characterize hadronic parity-violation from few-body observables in one systematic and consistent framework. The two spin-rotation angles provide independent constraints on these parameters. Using naive dimensional analysis to estimate the typical size of the couplings, we expect the signal for standard target densities to be 10^-7 to 10^-6 rad/m for both hydrogen and deuterium targets. We find no indication that the nd observable is enhanced compared to the np one. All results are properly renormalized. An estimate of the numerical and systematic uncertainties of our calculations indicates excellent convergence. An appendix contains the relevant partial-wave projectors of the three-nucleon system.Comment: 44 pages, 17 figures; minor corrections; to be published in EPJ

Comparison of serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid sialic acid levels between malignant and benign lung diseases

BACKGROUND: It is known that tissue and serum sialic acid levels may be altered by malignant transformation. In this study, sialic acid levels were determined in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) and serum in two groups of patients with lung cancer and non-malignant diseases of the lung. METHODS: Colorimetric methods were used for determination sialic acid in serum and in BAL samples. Flexible bronchoscopy was used to obtain the latter. RESULTS: Sialic acid levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and serum did not show any statistically significant difference between subjects with malignant and the non-malignant lung diseases (p > 0.05). Sialic acid levels were also unrelated to the stage and localization of the tumor (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Sialic acid levels do not appear to be a good marker for discriminating malignant from non-malignant diseases of the lung

Quaternary time scales for the Pontocaspian domain: interbasinal connectivity and faunal evolution

The Pontocaspian (Black Sea - Caspian Sea) region has a very dynamic history of basin development and biotic evolution. The region is the remnant of a once vast Paratethys Sea. It contains some of the best Eurasian geological records of tectonic, climatic and paleoenvironmental change. The Pliocene-Quaternary co-evolution of the Black Sea-Caspian Sea is dominated by major changes in water (lake and sea) levels resulting in a pulsating system of connected and isolated basins. Understanding the history of the region, including the drivers of lake level and faunal evolution, is hampered by indistinct stratigraphic nomenclature and contradicting time constraints for regional sedimentary successions. In this paper we review and update the late Pliocene to Quaternary stratigraphic framework of the Pontocaspian domain, focusing on the Black Sea Basin, Caspian Basin, Marmara Sea and the terrestrial environments surrounding these large, mostly endorheic lake-sea systems

Variation, variability, and the origin of the avian endocranium:Insights from the anatomy of alioramus altai (theropoda: Tyrannosauroidea)

The internal braincase anatomy of the holotype of Alioramus altai, a relatively small-bodied tyrannosauroid from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia, was studied using high-resolution computed tomography. A number of derived characters strengthen the diagnosis of this taxon as both a tyrannosauroid and a unique, new species (e.g., endocranial position of the gasserian ganglion, internal ramification of the facial nerve). Also present are features intermediate between the basal theropod and avialan conditions that optimize as the ancestral condition for Coelurosauria--a diverse group of derived theropods that includes modern birds. The expression of several primitive theropod features as derived character states within Tyrannosauroidea establishes previously unrecognized evolutionary complexity and morphological plasticity at the base of Coelurosauria. It also demonstrates the critical role heterochrony may have played in driving patterns of endocranial variability within the group and potentially reveals stages in the evolution of neuroanatomical development that could not be inferred based solely on developmental observations of the major archosaurian crown clades. We discuss the integration of paleontology with variability studies, especially as applied to the nature of morphological transformations along the phylogenetically long branches that tend to separate the crown clades of major vertebrate groups

Coupled supercontinent-mantle plume events evidenced by oceanic plume record

The most dominant features in the present-day lower mantle are the two antipodal African and Pacific large low-shear-velocity provinces (LLSVPs). How and when these two structures formed, and whether they are fixed and long lived through Earth history or dynamic and linked to the supercontinent cycles, remain first-order geodynamic questions. Hotspots and large igneous provinces (LIPs) are mostly generated above LLSVPs, and it is widely accepted that the African LLSVP existed by at least ca. 200 Ma beneath the supercontinent Pangea. Whereas the continental LIP record has been used to decipher the spatial and temporal variations of plume activity under the continents, plume records of the oceanic realm before ca. 170 Ma are mostly missing due to oceanic subduction. Here, we present the first compilation of an Oceanic Large Igneous Provinces database (O-LIPdb), which represents the preserved oceanic LIP and oceanic island basalt occurrences preserved in ophiolites. Using this database, we are able to reconstruct and compare the record of mantle plume activity in both the continental and oceanic realms for the past 2 b.y., spanning three supercontinent cycles. Time-series analysis reveals hints of similar cyclicity of the plume activity in the continent and oceanic realms, both exhibiting a periodicity of ∼500 m.y. that is comparable to the supercontinent cycle, albeit with a slight phase delay. Our results argue for dynamic LLSVPs where the supercontinent cycle and global subduction geometry control the formation and locations of the plumes

Are we turning to more than a first line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer with high dose irinotecan?: A monocentric institution safety analysis of 46 patients

International audiencePurpose: Irinotecan (CPT11) at 180mg/m(2) with LV5FU2 for metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC) has response rates (RRs) of 56 and 4% as first-and second-line treatments, respectively [1-2], and higher doses of CPT11 result in higher RRs. The present cohort analysis aimed to evaluate the effect of increasing doses of this combination treatment in clinical practice. Methods: Chemo-naive and pretreated patients with MCRC received CPT11 and LV5FU2 (5FU 48-h CI 2400mg/m(2), D1 bolus leucovorin 200mg/m(2)), followed by 5FU 400mg/m(2) (cycles d1-d15). CPT11 dose was increased by 20mg/m(2) at each cycle, from 180mg/m(2) up to 260mg/m(2), unless grade 3 toxicities other than alopecia arose. Results: Between March 2002 and September 2005, 46 patients were recruited (median age: 62.3 years). A total of 512 cycles of chemotherapy were administered (median: 9 cycles/patient; range: 3-41). Median follow-up was 16.2 months. Altogether, 27 patients had received prior chemotherapy: 24 with an oxaliplatin-based regimen; seven with CPT11; and five with LV5FU2 or oral 5FU. Doses of 260mg/m(2) were used in 17 patients, 240mg/m(2) in seven, 220mg/m(2) in six and 200mg/m(2) in five, while 11 remained at 180mg/m(2); 121 cycles used 260mg/m(2) (24%), with 76 cycles at 240mg/m(2) (14%), 78 cycles at 220mg/m(2) and 58 cycles at 200mg/m(2). The objective response (OR) was 40%, with stable disease (SD) in 45% and disease progression (DP) in 11%. In the first-line therapy group, partial/complete responses were 55%, with SD in 30% and DP in 15%. In pretreated patients, OR was 30.5%, SD was 58.5% and DP was 11%. Nine patients (20%) had a therapeutic break (median: 5.1 months; range: 3-10). Overall median survival was 17 months, with 16.5 months in pretreated patients and 19.6 months in the first-line group. Toxicity grades 3-4 and overall incidence per cycle were: neutropenia, 3-22%; diarrhea, 4-22%; vomiting, 2-20%; alopecia, 20-26%; anemia, 0.2-2%; thrombocytopenia, 0-0%; and mucositis, 0.4-2.2%. Conclusion: The toxicity of high-dose CPT11 + LV5FU2 chemotherapy was well tolerated when the dose was progressively increased according to individual tolerability, with 37% of patients receiving CPT11 at 260mg/m(2). Progression-free survival (PFS) increased with higher doses of CPT11. In the chemo-naive and pretreated subgroups, the median PFS was 10.9 and 8.8 months, respectively (P = 0.698, NS). Optimization of CPT11 doses in pretreated patients appears to pave the way for new treatment options. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved

High resolution magnetostratigraphy and radio-isotope dating of early Pleistocene lake sediments from southern Armenia

The Pleistocene geology of Armenia is dominated by widespread occurrence of sediments recording recurring rapid and drastic changes of the environmental conditions during at least the last 2 million years. These sediments, predominantly diatomites, contain a huge variety of various fossil remains, allowing the reconstruction of flora, fauna as well as the climatic conditions especially during dispersal of early man into Eurasia 1.8 Ma. Radio isotope dating of pumice levels as well as a detailed magnetostratigraphic study have been carried out in Syunik Province near the town of Sisian, southern Armenia, in order to establish a temporal correlation of all major outcrops of paleo-lake sediments and to provide a timeframe for paleoenvironmental studies within this lake sediment succession.A total of 455 oriented drill cores was sampled at six large and four short sections with a sampling resolution between 5 and 20 cm. Detailed paleomagnetic experiments reveal the presence of a characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) pointing either to the north and down or south and up. A positive reversal test suggests the primary character of this magnetization component. Combining the normal and reverse polarity directions results in an overall sample mean direction of D = 354.8°, I = 51.5° with a Fisherian precision parameter k of 14.6 and the associated α95 of 2.9°, combining demagnetization data of 169 samples. In addition, ash layers were sampled for 40Ar/39Ar geochronology at five of the sections studied paleomagnetically and three additional small outcrops. The resulting ages range between 1.31 Ma and 1.08 Ma, with two samples yielding ~1.65 and 1.90 Ma. The latter are characterized by extremely low abundances of radiogenic 40Ar, suggesting that the mineral system has not been closed since the time of eruption, leading to substantial loss in Ar. Integration of these radio-isotope dates with the polarity data suggests that the normal polarities can be linked to the Jaramillo subchron within the Matuyama reversed polarity chron. Based on the longest interval of normal polarity identified at Ashotavan-2, a lower limit for the sedimentation rate of ~37 cm/ky can be estimated. Therefore, we infer the duration of lake sedimentation as ~350 ky, starting at ~1.4 Ma

Paleomagnetism of the Hart Dolerite (Kimberley, Western Australia) – A two-stage assembly of the supercontinent Nuna?

We present new paleo- and rock magnetic results from the ca. 1792 Ma Hart Dolerite sills that intrude the strata of the Kimberley craton, Western Australia. From 24 sites sampled, 23 are directionally clustered and the site mean directions were used to calculate a grand mean direction. Ten of the 23 sites have 95% confidence intervals (a95) less than 16°. A positive reversal test, dissimilarity of the corresponding paleopole from known younger Australian poles, and a previously reported positive baked contact test, indicate that our paleomagnetic results are of primary origin, and the results are consistent with the geologic interpretation that the Hart Dolerite sills represent a multiphase magmatic emplacement over the duration of several million years. The new ca. 1792 Ma paleopole for the Kimberley craton is applicable to the entire North Australian Craton. A comparison of Paleoproterozoic poles from the North and West Australian cratons supports the occurrence of a previously proposed 40° intracontinental rotation between the two cratons during latest Neoproterozoic time. Furthermore, comparing these Australian poles with similar aged Laurentian poles shows that the apparent polar wander paths of the two continents have a similar history between ca. 1800 and 1730 Ma and between ca. 1650 and 1400 Ma. To achieve a fit within uncertainty limits, an additional relative latitudinal motion is necessary during the transition interval (1730–1650 Ma). We suggest that a two-stage evolution occurred between Laurentia and Australia during the assembly of the supercontinent Nuna. Australia and Laurentia traveled together between ca. 1800 Ma until ca. 1730 Ma in a semi-stable configuration. During 1730–1650 Ma, they underwent a net relative latitudinal motion, leading to the final assembly of Nuna after ca. 1650 Ma

Four-Body Scale in Universal Few-Boson Systems

International audienceThe role of an intrinsic four-body scale in universal few-boson systems is the subject of active debate. We study these systems within the framework of effective field theory. For systems of up to six bosons we establish that no four-body scale appears at leading order (LO). However, we find that at next-to-leading (NLO) order a four-body force is needed to obtain renormalized results for binding energies. With the associated parameter fixed to the binding energy of the four-boson system, this force is shown to renormalize the five- and six-body systems as well. We present an original ansatz for the short-distance limit of the bosonic $A$-body wave function from which we conjecture that new $A$-body scales appear at N$^{A-3}$LO. As a specific example, calculations are presented for clusters of helium atoms. Our results apply more generally to other few-body systems governed by a large scattering length, such as light nuclei and halo states, the low-energy properties of which are independent of the detailed internal structure of the constituents