35 research outputs found
Current correlators to all orders in the quark masses
The contributions to the coefficient functions of the quark and the mixed
quark-gluon condensate to mesonic correlators are calculated for the first time
to all orders in the quark masses, and to lowest order in the strong coupling
constant. Existing results on the coefficient functions of the unit operator
and the gluon condensate are reviewed. The proper factorization of short- and
long-distance contributions in the operator product expansion is discussed in
detail. It is found that to accomplish this task rigorously the operator
product expansion has to be performed in terms of non-normal-ordered
condensates. The resulting coefficient functions are improved with the help of
the renormalization group. The scale invariant combination of dimension 5
operators, including mixing with the mass operator, which is needed for the
renormalization group improvement, is calculated in the leading order.Comment: 24 pages, LateX file, TUM-T31-21/92, 1 postscript file include
Methods to Determine Neutrino Flux at Low Energies:Investigation of the Low Method
We investigate the "low-" method (developed by the CCFR/NUTEV
collaborations) to determine the neutrino flux in a wide band neutrino beam at
very low energies, a region of interest to neutrino oscillations experiments.
Events with low hadronic final state energy (of 1, 2 and 5 GeV)
were used by the MINOS collaboration to determine the neutrino flux in their
measurements of neutrino () and antineutrino (\nub_\mu) total cross
sections. The lowest energy for which the method was used in MINOS is
3.5 GeV, and the lowest \nub_\mu energy is 6 GeV. At these energies, the
cross sections are dominated by inelastic processes. We investigate the
application of the method to determine the neutrino flux for ,
\nub_\mu energies as low as 0.7 GeV where the cross sections are dominated by
quasielastic scattering and (1232) resonance production. We find that
the method can be extended to low energies by using values of 0.25
and 0.50 GeV, which is feasible in fully active neutrino detectors such as
MINERvA.Comment: 25 pages, 32 figures, to be published in European Physics Journal
Reaction and Axial Vector Coupling
The reaction is studied in the region of low
to investigate the effect of deuteron structure and width of the
resonance on the differential cross section. The results are used to extract
the axial vector coupling from the experimental data on
this reaction. The possibility to determine this coupling from electroweak
interaction experiments with high intensity electron accelerators is discussed.Comment: 14 pages, REVTEX, 5 figure
Resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases in Venezuela as a regional public health threat in the Americas
Venezuela’s tumbling economy and authoritarian rule have precipitated an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Hyperinflation rates now exceed 45,000%, and Venezuela’s health system is in free fall. The country is experiencing a massive exodus of biomedical scientists and qualified healthcare professionals. Reemergence of arthropod-borne and vaccine-preventable diseases has sparked serious epidemics that also affect neighboring countries. In this article, we discuss the ongoing epidemics of measles and diphtheria in Venezuela and their disproportionate impact on indigenous populations. We also discuss the potential for reemergence of poliomyelitis and conclude that action to halt the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases within Venezuela is a matter of urgency for the country and the region. We further provide specific recommendations for addressing this crisis. © 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All rights reserved
Observation of hard scattering in photoproduction events with a large rapidity gap at HERA
Events with a large rapidity gap and total transverse energy greater than 5
GeV have been observed in quasi-real photoproduction at HERA with the ZEUS
detector. The distribution of these events as a function of the
centre of mass energy is consistent with diffractive scattering. For total
transverse energies above 12 GeV, the hadronic final states show predominantly
a two-jet structure with each jet having a transverse energy greater than 4
GeV. For the two-jet events, little energy flow is found outside the jets. This
observation is consistent with the hard scattering of a quasi-real photon with
a colourless object in the proton.Comment: 19 pages, latex, 4 figures appended as uuencoded fil
Human vaccination against Plasmodium vivax Duffy-binding protein induces strain-transcending antibodies
BACKGROUND. Plasmodium vivax is the most widespread human malaria geographically; however, no effective vaccine exists. Red blood cell invasion by the P. vivax merozoite depends on an interaction between the Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC) and region II of the parasite’s Duffy-binding protein (PvDBP_RII). Naturally acquired binding-inhibitory antibodies against this interaction associate with clinical immunity, but it is unknown whether these responses can be induced by human vaccination.
METHODS. Safety and immunogenicity of replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus serotype 63 (ChAd63) and modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) viral vectored vaccines targeting PvDBP_RII (Salvador I strain) were assessed in an open-label dose-escalation phase Ia study in 24 healthy UK adults. Vaccines were delivered by the intramuscular route in a ChAd63-MVA heterologous prime-boost regimen using an 8-week interval.
RESULTS. Both vaccines were well tolerated and demonstrated a favorable safety profile in malaria-naive adults. PvDBP_RII–specific ex-vivo IFN-γ T cell, antibody-secreting cell, memory B cell, and serum IgG responses were observed after the MVA boost immunization. Vaccine-induced antibodies inhibited the binding of vaccine homologous and heterologous variants of recombinant PvDBP_RII to the DARC receptor, with median 50% binding-inhibition titers greater than 1:100.
CONCLUSION. We have demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge that strain-transcending antibodies can be induced against the PvDBP_RII antigen by vaccination in humans. These vaccine candidates warrant further clinical evaluation of efficacy against the blood-stage P. vivax parasite
State of the world’s plants and fungi 2020
Kew’s State of the World’s Plants and Fungi project provides assessments of our current knowledge of the diversity of plants and fungi on Earth, the global threats that they face, and the policies to safeguard them. Produced in conjunction with an international scientific symposium, Kew’s State of the World’s Plants and Fungi sets an important international standard from which we can annually track trends in the global status of plant and fungal diversity
Indian Ocean tsunami: The use of the MERIS (MTCI) data to detect salt stress on near coastal vegetation
The Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004 removed coastal vegetation and inundated large areas of near-coastal and low lying land with salt water. There were subsequent reports of early vegetation senescence as salt stress reduced the chlorophyll content of plant canopies. The European Space Agency (ESA) uses data from its Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) on Envisat to produce an operational product called the MERIS Terrestrial Chlorophyll Index (MTCI). The MTCI values are related to the relative position of the red edge in the reflectance spectrum of vegetation and so can be used to estimate the chlorophyll content of that vegetation. The difference between pre and post-tsunami MTCI images was compared with elevation data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission's (SRTM) Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C (SIR-C) for the Phuket region of Thailand. There was a statistically significant (95% confidence level) decrease in the MTCI after the tsunami in near-coastal and low lying interior regions. It was hypothesized that this decrease was due to a reduction in chlorophyll content as a result of the salt stress produced by salt water inundation. The recovery of this region is to be monitored using the MTCI.<br/