WH/ZHW_H/Z_H production associated with a T-odd (anti)quark at the LHC in NLO QCD

In the framework of the littlest Higgs model with T parity, we study the $W_H/Z_H$ production in association with a T-odd (anti)quark of the first two generations at the CERN Large Hadron Collider up to the QCD next-to-leading order. The kinematic distributions of final decay products and the theoretical dependence of the cross section on the factorization/renormalization scale are discussed. We apply three schemes in considering the QCD NLO contributions and find that the QCD NLO corrections by adopting the (II) and (III) subtraction schemes can keep the convergence of the perturbative QCD description and reduce the scale uncertainty of the leading order cross section. By using these two subtraction schemes, the QCD NLO corrections to the $W_H(Z_H) q_-$ production process enhance the leading order cross section with a K-factor in the range of $1.00 \sim 1.43$.Comment: 31 pages, 12 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev.

Collinear Subtractions in Hadroproduction of Heavy Quarks

We present a detailed discussion of the collinear subtraction terms needed to establish a massive variable-flavour-number scheme for the one-particle inclusive production of heavy quarks in hadronic collisions. The subtraction terms are computed by convoluting appropriate partonic cross sections with perturbative parton distribution and fragmentation functions relying on the method of mass factorization. We find (with one minor exception) complete agreement with the subtraction terms obtained in a previous publication by comparing the zero-mass limit of a fixed-order calculation with the genuine massles results in the MSbar scheme. This presentation will be useful for extending the massive variable-flavour-number scheme to other processes.Comment: 29 pages, 17 figures include

The Fermi motion contribution to J/\psi production at the hadron colliders

We investigate the relativistic Fermi motion effect in the case of $J/\psi$ production in various hadron colliders. A light-cone wave function is adopted to represent the $J/\psi$ final state. The change in the confinement parameter which sets a scale for the size of the final state, allows one to see the effect in an explicit manner. While the effect has considerable influence on the fragmentation probabilities and the differential cross sections, the total cross sections are essentially left unchanged. such a feature is in agreement with the momentum sum rule which the fragmentation functions should satisfy.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Phys. Lett.

Bayesian Wavelet Shrinkage of the Haar-Fisz Transformed Wavelet Periodogram.

It is increasingly being realised that many real world time series are not stationary and exhibit evolving second-order autocovariance or spectral structure. This article introduces a Bayesian approach for modelling the evolving wavelet spectrum of a locally stationary wavelet time series. Our new method works by combining the advantages of a Haar-Fisz transformed spectrum with a simple, but powerful, Bayesian wavelet shrinkage method. Our new method produces excellent and stable spectral estimates and this is demonstrated via simulated data and on differenced infant electrocardiogram data. A major additional benefit of the Bayesian paradigm is that we obtain rigorous and useful credible intervals of the evolving spectral structure. We show how the Bayesian credible intervals provide extra insight into the infant electrocardiogram data

Inclusive B-Meson Production in e^+ e^- and p p-bar Collisions

We provide nonperturbative fragmentation functions for B mesons, both at leading and next-to-leading order in the MS-bar factorization scheme with five massless quark flavors. They are determined by fitting the fractional energy distribution of B mesons inclusively produced in e^+ e^- annihilation at CERN LEP1. Theoretical predictions for the inclusive production of B mesons with high transverse momenta in p p-bar scattering obtained with these fragmentation functions nicely agree, both in shape and normalization, with data recently taken at the Fermilab Tevatron.Comment: 20 pages (Latex), 6 figures (Postscript

The leading particle effect from light quark fragmentation in charm hadroproduction

The asymmetry of $D^-$ and $D^+$ meson production in $\pi^-N$ scattering observed by the E791 experiment is a typical phenomenon known as the leading particle effect in charm hadroproducton. We show that the phenomenon can be explained by the effect of light quark fragmentation into charmed hadrons (LQF). Meanwhile, the size of the LQF effect is estimated from data of the E791 experiment. A comparison is made with the estimate of the LQF effect from prompt like-sign dimuon rate in neutrino experiments. The influence of the LQF effect on the measurement of nucleon strange distribution asymmetry from charged current charm production processes is briefly discussed.Comment: 6 latex pages, 1 figure, to appear in EPJ

Structure and Production of Lambda Baryons

We discuss the quark parton structure of the $\Lambda$ baryon and the fragmentation of quarks into $\Lambda$ baryons. We show that the hyperfine interaction, responsible for the $\Delta$-$N$ and $\Sigma^0$-$\Lambda$ mass splittings, leads not only to sizeable SU(3) and SU(6) symmetry breaking in the quark distributions of the $\Lambda$, but also to significant polarized non-strange quark distributions. The same arguments suggest flavor asymmetric quark fragmentation functions and non-zero polarized non-strange quark fragmentation functions. The calculated fragmentation functions give a good description of all measured observables. We predict significant positive $\Lambda$ polarization in semi-inclusive DIS experiments while models based on SU(3) flavor symmetry predict zero or negative $\Lambda$ polarization. Our approach also provides a natural explanation for the dependence of the maximum of the $\xi=\ln(1/z)$ spectrum on the mass of the particles produced in $e^+e^-$ annihilation.Comment: 24 pages, 9 figures, minor change

Top Production in Hadron-Hadron Collisions and Anomalous Top-Gluon Couplings

We discuss the influence of anomalous tbar-t-G couplings on total and differential tbar-t production cross sections in hadron-hadron collisions. We study in detail the effects of a chromoelectric and a chromomagnetic dipole moment, d' and \mu', of the top quark. In the d'-\mu' plane, we find a whole region where the anomalous couplings give a zero net contribution to the total top production rate. In differential cross sections, the anomalous moments have to be quite sizable to give measurable effects. We estimate the values of d' and \mu' which are allowed by the present Tevatron experimental results on top production. A chromoelectric dipole moment of the top violates CP invariance. We discuss a simple CP-odd observable which allows for a direct search for CP violation in top production.Comment: footnote pg. 4 changed, acknowledgments extende

Structure-based identification of functional residues in the nucleoside-2'-O-methylase domain of Bluetongue virus VP4 capping enzyme.

Bluetongue virus (BTV) encodes a single capping protein, VP4, which catalyzes all reactions required to generate cap1 structures on nascent viral transcripts. Further, structural analysis by X-ray crystallography indicated each catalytic reaction is arranged as a discrete domain, including a nucleoside-2'-O-methyltransferase (2'-O MTase). In this study, we have exploited the structural information to identify the residues that are important for the catalytic activity of 2'-O MTase of VP4 and their influence on BTV replication. The effect of these mutations on GMP binding, guanylyltransferase (GTase) and methylase activities were analysed by a series of in vitro biochemical assays using recombinant mutant proteins; subsequently their effects on virus replication were assessed by introducing the same mutations in replicating viral genome using a reverse genetics system. Our data showed that single substitution mutations in the catalytic tetrad K-D-K-E were sufficient to abolish 2'-O MTase activity in vitro and to completely abrogate BTV replication in cells; although these mutants retained the upstream GMP binding, GTase and guanine-N7-methyltransferase activities. Mutations of the surrounding substrate-binding pocket (predicted to recruit cap0) had variable effects on in vitro VP4 capping activity. Only triple but not single substitution mutations of these residues in genome resulted in reduced virus replication kinetics. This is the first report investigating the importance of 2'-O MTase function for any member of the Reoviridae and highlights the significance of K-D-K-E tetrad and surrounding residues for the efficiency of 2'-O MTase activity and in turn, for virus fitness

Conducting retrospective impact analysis to inform a medical research charity’s funding strategies: The case of Asthma UK

© 2013 Hanney et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.BACKGROUND: Debate is intensifying about how to assess the full range of impacts from medical research. Complexity increases when assessing the diverse funding streams of funders such as Asthma UK, a charitable patient organisation supporting medical research to benefit people with asthma. This paper aims to describe the various impacts identified from a range of Asthma UK research, and explore how Asthma UK utilised the characteristics of successful funding approaches to inform future research strategies. METHODS: We adapted the Payback Framework, using it both in a survey and to help structure interviews, documentary analysis, and case studies. We sent surveys to 153 lead researchers of projects, plus 10 past research fellows, and also conducted 14 detailed case studies. These covered nine projects and two fellowships, in addition to the innovative case studies on the professorial chairs (funded since 1988) and the MRC-Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma (the ‘Centre’) which together facilitated a comprehensive analysis of the whole funding portfolio. We organised each case study to capture whatever academic and wider societal impacts (or payback) might have arisen given the diverse timescales, size of funding involved, and extent to which Asthma UK funding contributed to the impacts. RESULTS: Projects recorded an average of four peer-reviewed journal articles. Together the chairs reported over 500 papers. All streams of funding attracted follow-on funding. Each of the various categories of societal impacts arose from only a minority of individual projects and fellowships. Some of the research portfolio is influencing asthma-related clinical guidelines, and some contributing to product development. The latter includes potentially major breakthroughs in asthma therapies (in immunotherapy, and new inhaled drugs) trialled by university spin-out companies. Such research-informed guidelines and medicines can, in turn, contribute to health improvements. The role of the chairs and the pioneering collaborative Centre is shown as being particularly important. CONCLUSIONS: We systematically demonstrate that all types of Asthma UK’s research funding assessed are making impacts at different levels, but the main societal impacts from projects and fellowships come from a minority of those funded. Asthma UK used the study’s findings, especially in relation to the Centre, to inform research funding strategies to promote the achievement of impact.This study was funded by Asthma UK